PARAGON
by Kenko
Summary: Ranma the Magical Girl? Yup. Sailor Senshi? Nope. And the Senshi are DAMN aware of this. Besides, there's the rabbit...
1. Prolouge: Enter The Rabbit

Paragon  
  
A Sailor Moon / Ranma 1/2 fanfiction  
  
by Robert Haynie  
  
####  
  
Prologue:  
  
It was done.  
  
The cats had been sealed, and sent into orbit around the Earth,  
where eventually they would land, to be awakened when the time was   
right.  
  
As many souls as possible had been sent into the future, to be   
reborn in a happier time, hopefully without conflict.  
  
Not that Serenity, the queen of the Silver Millennium,  
actually believed that for a moment as she lay dying amidst the   
wreckage of her palace. Darkness would arrive again. She had not   
been able to destroy Metalliaia or Beryl, only seal them away...  
and there were other dangers out there, and she feared that they too  
would come.  
  
Ginzoushou. Broken into seven parts, to seal the Shadows   
away... even if it was reformed, would it be enough?  
  
Her daughter... such potential... but still...  
  
She lay dying, and despaired.  
  
And then, in her last moments, a shadow fell across her face,  
and she saw a man. Someone she had never seen before, but somehow  
his presence comforted her.  
  
"Do not fear, Serenity. There are other powers."  
  
And Serenity let go, with a smile on her lips...  
  
####  
  
He sat under the bridge that he favored when he was feeling  
unusually depressed. Recently, for Ranma Saotome, that was happening  
a lot lately.  
  
Stupid wedding. That was hell.  
  
Stupid Amazons and their stupid laws.  
  
Stupid Ucch-- Ukyo. He'd expected better of her.  
  
Stupid Nabiki, inviting all those loons.  
  
Stupid Pops, attacking that cask of Nannichuan.  
  
Stupid Happosai, DRINKING the damn thing, thinking it was sake.  
  
Stupid... curse.  
  
Maybe not everything came down to the curse, but enough did.  
  
Only person right now that he wasn't calling stupid was Akane.  
It was something of a shock to him that she'd actually wanted to get  
married.  
  
Ranma was normally not the type to use a Shi Shi Hokodan.  
Right now, the bridge was in serious danger.  
  
"This can't be right."  
  
Depressed or not, Ranma's reflexes and reactions were still   
about the sharpest around. He leapt to his feet, spun, and faced--  
  
A six year old boy.  
  
"You're supposed to be-- hmm. You ARE Ranma Saotome, right?"  
  
"Look, kid, I ain't in the mood--"  
  
"Why aren't you a girl? The Paragon is supposed to be a girl,  
you know. No, wait, you wouldn't know. Excuse me, mind if I take  
a look at your soul?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Arigato. Won't take a moment."  
  
Then the kid stuck his head inside Ranma.  
  
Now, Ranma was no stranger to weird things happening. Frankly,  
he was more a stranger to NORMAL thing happening. But this was so   
insanely weird that he froze in shock.  
  
The kid pulled his head out from Ranma's abdomen, and nodded.  
"Hmm... you're both. That could be useful. And you're definitely  
the Paragon after all. Wanna help save the world?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"I'm not allowed to explain right now. But... look, you want  
a way to control your curse? I can give it to you. But you have to  
help save the world."  
  
"A... a cure?"  
  
"Not a cure, a control. It won't be a curse any more. It'll  
be something else. But you have to promise. You have to help save  
the world."  
  
Ranma paused. Something told him that accepting would be a   
mistake. Something else told him that refusing would be a bigger  
one.   
  
"Deal."  
  
The boy smiled. "Okay! Now, put this on, and wait for the   
rabbit."  
  
"What? Rabbit? And what's that thing?"  
  
Said thing was a sort of pendant, with a five pointed star of   
crystal inside a simple gold circle.  
  
"It's the Paragon Amulet. Never take it off. Actually,  
you won't be able to take it off. If you take it, you can't go back.  
Last chance to back out."  
  
Ranma paused.  
  
And then he took the amulet, and put it on. "Now what?"  
  
The boy smiled again. Then he produced a bucket from apparently  
nowhere (not an unusual act in Nerima, really) and splashed Ranma.  
  
"HEY! What did you... do... that... I'm... I'm still a guy?"  
  
"Cold water isn't a problem for you any more, Ranma."  
  
"I'm... I'm cured! Never gonna be a girl again! Never gonna  
be a girl again! Never gonna be a girl again!" The no longer   
aquatransexual began to fairly caper in joy.  
  
"I didn't say that. But you'll understand in time."  
  
"Never gonna be-- what did you say?" But the boy had vanished.  
  
No longer depressed, Ranma decided to forget about it and   
started to dance home.  
  
####  
  
A man stood staring into a pool of water. "THAT'S your choice  
for the Paragon?"  
  
The boy shrugged. "A mighty warrior, a heroic soul, and a girl.  
When he'll need to be. Star's already on the way to his house. And  
he's meant for this, I can tell."  
  
"His life is a constant pattern of chaos! He's got a pack of   
loons chasing him, who either want to kill him or marry him! His   
father's a moron, his mother's a loon, and he attracts trouble like  
a cake attracts ants!"  
  
"And he's still sane, still noble at heart, still a gentle soul  
and a brave fighter."  
  
"You're right. He's perfect. And the Amulet is already   
adapting to him. This is likely to be the strongest Paragon ever."  
  
The boy smiled. "Am I ever wrong?"  
  
The man sighed. "Just once, I almost wish you would be..."  
  
####  
  
"So... this world has a Senshi."  
  
"My lord, it may have more than one. And there are other   
sources of power that we can't define."  
  
"But you're certain that the StarGem is here?"  
  
"Yes. It will try to mask itself by hiding in the soul of one  
of the humans of this world. We can determine possible candidates,  
but we can't be certain which one until we find the right one."  
  
"Problematical..."  
  
"Yes. We can't be certain who carries it, there are probably  
multiple Senshi, and other opponents. Then again, we have our   
Ur-golems, and our Ur-demons. Ur-golems can distract any senshi  
that pop up, while the Ur-Demons seek the StarGem. I don't think  
it will be that difficult after all."  
  
"Then go. Find the StarGem, my key to immortality and   
omnipotence."  
  
"As you command."  
  
####  
  
In the room of Ranma Saotome, a gray rabbit with a white   
star-shaped patch of fur on his haunch sat on his futon, wriggled  
his amazingly cute nose, twitched a whisker adorably, and sighed.  
  
The door opened, and Ranma entered. He'd gotten back to a empty  
house, which was unusual. Then he stared at the rabbit.  
  
And the rabbit said, "Hi! I'm Star, your advisor. I'm supposed  
to teach you how to be the Paragon. Funny, you don't LOOK like a   
girl."  
  
Ranma fainted.  
  
####  
  
End prologue... 


	2. Episode One: She's NOT a Senshi? Myster...

"What the hell ARE those?"  
  
The other Senshi found themselves agreeing with Jupiter's  
question. It was pretty much like the usual enemy-- basically  
female in appearance, but twisted in some almost ludicrous fashion.  
As evinced by the fact that it had a hairbrush protruding out of it's  
head, was dressed in the required skimpy outfit, and just plain   
looked silly.  
  
After the Daimons, silly probably meant dangerous as all hell.  
  
And unlike the Daimons or the other enemies, this one had   
friends-- a pack of (again) vaguely feminine faceless things that   
looked as though they were made of clay. Well, clay with sharp rocky  
projections sticking out.  
  
A new enemy. The thing with the hairbrush stood over an   
unconscious girl, examining her. "Pah. No StarGem in her. Well,  
she dies then, for her death energy. Kill those... Senshi,   
Ur-Golems. That at least will please the Master."  
  
"Doesn't work that way," came an unfamiliar female voice.  
  
And all eyes turned to the shadowed figure, who said--  
  
"From out of darkness comes a light. From out of Chaos comes  
a champion. To attack the innocent for your dark ambitions can never  
be forgiven. Judgment has been made-- and you are found wanting."  
  
"And who are you?" snarled the Ur-Demon.  
  
And the figure replied...  
  
"I am... the Paragon."  
  
####  
  
Robert Haynie Presents  
  
A Sailor Moon / Ranma 1/2 crossover fanfiction  
  
PARAGON  
  
Episode One : She's not a Senshi? Mysterious Warrior Paragon  
appears!  
  
####  
  
Ranma began to return to consciousness as he felt a soft paw   
tapping his face.  
  
A soft paw?  
  
In Ranma's experience, soft paws usually meant--  
  
"C-C-C-C-CAT!!!!!"  
  
"Cat? Where? Oh, MAN, I HATE cats!" panicked Star.  
  
Ranma froze again. "Not cat. Rabbit. Not cat. Rabbit.   
Talking rabbit. Eeeep."  
  
"Oh, there's not a cat? Whew. You ever been chased by a cat?  
They are evil creatures, any rabbit can tell you that. Say, why are  
you clinging to the ceiling?"  
  
Ranma stared at Star with eyes roughly the size of cantaloupes.  
"Talking Rabbit. Weirdness. No more, please..."  
  
"You're over-reacting. What, did your father wrap you in a   
bunch of carrots and lettuce and drop you into a pit of starving  
bunnies when you were a child, or something?" Star felt,   
understandably, hurt. First time out as a magical mascot and his   
charge was acting weird.  
  
"R-Rabbits don't talk..."  
  
"I do. I'm your advisor, remember? I'm supposed to teach you  
how to be the Paragon. I don't think I can do that while you're  
clinging to the ceiling. How do you do that anyhow? Come down,   
already."  
  
"Nuh-uh. I like it up here."  
  
"Please? It's not like I can hurt you, is it? I'm just a   
kawaii little bunny-rabbit."  
  
"You're weirdness. I ain't coming down."  
  
"I can wait as long as you can, you know."  
  
"Bets?"  
  
"I don't see what you're so upset about. You DID promise."  
  
"Promise what?"  
  
"To help save the world."  
  
Ranma paused. He HAD made that promise in return for his cure.  
"Ummm..."  
  
"Please?" Star took on an expression that went beyond kawaii  
and far into the uber-cute spectrum. Eyes sparkling, nose twitching,  
ears drooping just a bit-- the rabbit radiated sadness and   
disappointment. Taro would have softened at the sight.  
  
Ranma never stood a chance. "All right... " He dropped easily  
from the ceiling.  
  
"Wow, you're good. I can see why they chose you for the   
Paragon. Except that you're a boy. The Paragon is supposed to be a   
girl."  
  
"Oh, yeah! I don't turn into a girl anymore! So I guess you   
really want someone else!" Maybe he could escape this rabbit after  
all.  
  
"Don't... wait, let me think... Oh, yeah! Jusenkyo, right?  
Knew I forgot something." Star paused. "Actually, I think I'm   
forgetting a LOT of things. But you aren't cured."  
  
"Am too! Watch!" Ranma grabbed a glass of water and dumped  
it over his head. "See? No more girl!"  
  
"You don't understand, your curse isn't cured, it's controlled.  
I want you to think girl."  
  
"Think... what do you mean?"  
  
"Think about changing into a girl. TRY to."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Just do it."  
  
"Don't wanna, and you can't make me."  
  
"Can too."  
  
"Can not."  
  
"Can TOO!"  
  
"Can NOT!"  
  
"You're scared to try!"  
  
THAT did it.  
  
"I ain't scared of nothin'! Watch, I'll think girl, and   
nothing-- errrgh."  
  
Ranma stared down at herself. Instead of water triggering  
the change, SHE had. And worse...  
  
"ACK! I'm in a dress!"  
  
"Well, that's what girls wear--"  
  
"I'm-- I'm wearing a BRA! And PANTIES! I can FEEL them! My   
hair's undone and there's a ribbon in it! WHAT THE HELL IS GOING  
ON?"  
  
"You look nice..."  
  
Ranma glared at the rabbit in fury. "CHANGE ME BACK NOW!"  
  
"I can't. You can, though. Just think boy."  
  
Ranma shuddered, and then concentrated again. Again the   
familiar tingle. He was a he again, and dressed in his habitual  
Chinese outfit. He tugged at his pigtail for reassurance.  
No ribbons. Good.  
  
"Never gonna do THAT again. Never."  
  
"Um..." The rabbit looked nervous. "You'll have to. Rather  
a lot. You'll have to be the Paragon to fight the Outer Darkness,  
and only a girl can be the Paragon, so you'll have to be a girl   
sometimes. But at least you control it now."  
  
"Maybe, but I was dressed--"  
  
"Like a girl, and sometimes you're going to have to pretend  
to be an ordinary girl, and they usually don't dress in Chinese  
tangs and baggy trousers. You'll get used to it."  
  
(I don't believe this,) thought Ranma. (I thought I was never  
going to have to be a girl again, and now I have to turn into one   
complete with stupid girls clothes and everything because a magical  
rabbit says so and because I promised to help save the world and...  
My life may not be hell right now, but Purgatory is a definite  
possibility.)  
  
"Anyway, do you know an abandoned lot or something like that?  
We should start training. It won't be long before the Darkness  
begins to make it's move.)  
  
"What can I learn from a rabbit, anyhow?" asked Ranma.  
  
Star produced a lapine grin. "Well, you may have noticed that  
I'm not an ordinary rabbit..."  
  
####  
  
On the subject of rabbits, the name Usagi Tsukino often crosses  
the mind. Most people assumed her to be just another junior high   
school student, if one with a peculiar taste in hairstyles.  
  
Few knew that she was really the reborn Princess of the Silver  
Millennium, Serenity the Younger, as well as the Bishojo Senshi   
Sailor Moon, the most popular urban legend in Juuban.  
  
There's a certain symmetry in the fact that where a certain  
cat-hating youth was holding a conversation with a talking rabbit,  
a girl NAMED "Rabbit" was holding a conversation with a talking  
cat.  
  
"Luna, you really think there's likely to be a new enemy?"  
  
"Pharaoh 90 wasn't the last, I fear. I don't know who the new  
enemy would be, but I'm certain that he wasn't the last. I can feel  
it."  
  
The black cat padded over to Usagi's desk. "But I could be well  
wrong. At any rate, you have a much greater threat to face."  
  
Usagi's eyes widened. Grabbing her transformation brooch,  
she gasped, "Who? What? Should I call the others?"  
  
"No, this is a battle only you can fight..."  
  
"No... wh-what is it?"  
  
"Your imminent failure in that mathematics midterm Thursday  
if you don't start studying NOW."  
  
At the other end of the room, a pink haired girl of about twelve  
years of age began to snicker.  
  
"Luuuuu-naaaaaa..."  
  
"You tell the odango-atama, Luna!" chortled Chibi-Usa, who, even  
after all the adventures she and Usagi had shared, still couldn't  
resist a good tease.  
  
"Don't Call ME--"  
  
"Gomen, gomen. Besides, I realized they don't look like odango  
after all."  
  
"Oh?" Usagi began to preen a bit.  
  
"They look more like meatballs."  
  
Preening stopped.   
  
"And those ponytails look like spaghetti..."  
  
"BANZAI!"  
  
Luna sighed as one of the not infrequent Usagi and Chibi-Usa  
chases began, the older girl snarling and the younger giggling  
like a madgirl.  
  
"Definitely her mother's daughter," sighed Luna. "But only if   
her mother turns out to be Rei instead."  
  
####  
  
Before anyone asks, no, Chibi-Usa IS Usagi's kid, or will be.   
This isn't that kind of fiction.  
  
####  
  
For reasons that had never been easily explained, the ward of   
Nerima, which by rights should have been every bit as congested  
as the rest of the area around and in Tokyo, had an unusual number  
of small forests, quarries, abandoned junkyards and the like which  
were tailor made for martial artists to train in insanely destructive  
techniques in. Then again, Nerima was a place where the inexplicable  
was a daily occurrence-- or so it seemed at times.   
  
Ranma stood at the abandoned quarry, and scowled. The rabbit  
that somehow easily rode on his shoulder nodded sagely (or as sagely  
as an overly kawaii bunny could, anyway). "This should do just   
fine."  
  
"All right. So, what's first?"  
  
"First, you change into a girl again."  
  
Ranma grumbled. He'd gotten used to the curse, true, but that  
was because he'd had very little choice in the matter. Now he no   
longer had to worry about being a girl by accident any more-- and was  
expected to be one on purpose. Life stank.  
  
(Think girl. Think Girl... think COOL Girl,) he thought   
desparately.  
  
He came close.  
  
Star nodded in approval. "Very stylish."  
  
Ranma looked down at herself. This time she was wearing khaki  
shorts and a matching military style top, with combat boots yet. "At  
least this ain't a dress. Aw, man, but there's still the damn bra   
and... I hope the old pervert never finds out about this."  
  
"Don't know what you're talking about, Ranma, but now it's time  
to summon the Power. Take hold of the amulet, and say 'Paragon  
no Power Henshin", and that will do the rest."  
  
"All right, but-- wait a minute."  
  
It was beginning to click.  
  
Magical jewelry.  
  
Henshin phrases.  
  
Have to be a girl to use the power.  
  
Saving the world.  
  
Cute Fluffy Talking Animal Companion (tm).  
  
"Oh, no. Oh, no no no. No WAY are you going to turn me into  
a magical girl!"  
  
"The Paragon is a great warrior--"  
  
"You can't fool ME. I've seen those cartoons! Akane watches  
them all the time! I've seen Pretty Sammy! I've had Wedding Peach  
shoved in my face a million times! You're going to put me in some  
frilly skirt with bows and ribbons and some cheesy looking magical  
wand and goofy jewelry and who knows what and I'll be making silly  
speeches and dancing around like an idiot! I ain't gonna do it!"  
  
Star looked doubtful. "I don't know anything about that. I   
don't know how the Paragon will manifest this time-- it's different  
every time. Just do it, please?"  
  
"No WAY! I ain't going to dash around in pink lace and satin!"  
  
--You promised.  
  
Ranma shook her head, uncertainly. Did she hear--  
  
--You promised. You are said to be a man-- or woman-- of your  
word. You promised to help save the world.  
  
"But... but do I have to--"  
  
--It is the only way.  
  
Star twitched an ear, uncertainly. Ranma was suddenly standing  
stock still, eyes glazed, and mumbling under her breath. Had the   
idea of becoming the Paragon sent her over the edge?  
  
Then Ranma took the Amulet in hand, closed her eyes, and said  
the words...  
  
"Paragon no power-- HENSHIN!"  
  
It took less than two seconds for the transfiguration  
to occur. It seemed much longer, somehow, as Ranma felt her clothing  
dissolve, and the lights-- the terrible, beautiful lights-- forge  
a new garment. She felt energy infuse her. She felt power. She   
felt... wonderful.  
  
She felt like she could go thirteen rounds with Ryoga, Taro,  
Mousse, Happosai, and Cologne easily without breathing heavily.  
  
And as her feet settled the ground and she realized that she HAD  
been for a moment lifted bodily up, she looked down at herself,  
and blinked.  
  
"God. I think I woulda preferred the ribbons and the frilly  
skirt."  
  
Star developed a nosebleed. He might be a rabbit, but he was   
also a boy.  
  
####  
  
Ami Mizuno held a secret pride.  
  
Although as a Senshi she held considerable power-- the Shabon  
Spray, and recently the Shine Aqua Illusion-- she didn't consider  
those her true powers.  
  
Nor did she consider the enhanced speed, agility, and strength  
such.  
  
No, what she considered her true power was something she had   
been born with-- her intellect.  
  
It wasn't a matter of ego, really. She studied hard to get the  
grades she did. Harder still to keep ahead of the class as far as   
she did. In her own way, she held a touch of ego-- in one thing,  
at least, she desired to be the best.  
  
With her friends in the Sailor Team, that could be hard. Minako  
was so beautiful, Makoto was so strong, Rei had her strange mystic  
abilities and a glamour that could not be over looked, and Usagi   
was...  
  
A pillar of unyielding strength wrapped in the blanket of a   
terminally happy teen. A study in contrasts. The Princess.  
  
Ami didn't consider herself very good looking, actually.  
Not compared to the others, anyhow. Chronically shy, somewhat  
lacking in self esteem, she threw herself into her studies and her   
duties as a Sailor Senshi. In those, she found a much needed pride.  
  
She smiled. She was also the only one of the Senshi who could  
access one of her abilities without being transformed-- the Mercury  
Computer. From time to time she would take it out of the strange  
pocketspace she carried and do a scan, just in case something  
odd was happening.  
  
Idly she did so, tapped the data entry pad, and froze. For a   
second-- only a second-- there had been a reading of a new and   
powerful energy, but it had lasted far too short a time to tell where  
it was from. It could have been a random blip, but...  
  
Better safe than sorry, after all. She'd mention it when she   
met the others at the Crown this afternoon.  
  
####  
  
Ranma came home again, male, with Star riding his shoulder  
easily in the tradition of magical girl mascots throughout history.  
Ranma had decided that even if he wasn't exactly dressed like the   
stereotype from anime, when he was the Paragon he-- or rather she--  
was pretty much a magical girl. Closest thing he could think to call  
it, anyway. Well, maybe superhero, but they didn't usually have   
talking rabbits as trainers.  
  
"That wasn't so bad," said the aforementioned rabbit. "You did  
good in the training. Guess all that martial arts helped too."  
  
"Yeah, but that outfit-- man, if anyone ever sees me in it,   
they'll never let me live it down."  
  
"I told you, they won't recognize you. The Paragon is a   
mysterious warrior, and no-one will ever recognize you unless they  
actually see you change in front of them. In fact, I'm not sure   
they'd recognize you even then."  
  
"You SAY so. But you just keep remembering stuff from outta  
the blue. How do you know any of that works?"  
  
"The stuff we tried today worked, didn't it?"  
  
"Well.... yeah," Ranma admitted, grudgingly.  
  
"I haven't steered you wrong yet, have I?"  
  
"Well..."  
  
"Trust me. You're going to do fine."  
  
"But that outfit..."  
  
"The life of a Magical Girl is full of peril," the rabbit said  
sententiously.  
  
"Ha ha ha. You sound just like my pop. By the way, you even  
THINK of engaging me to anyone, you are fricassee. And I ain't a   
magical girl. Paragon is."  
  
"You're the same person."  
  
"..."  
  
Arriving at the Tendo house, Ranma entered, with a slightly  
sullen "Tadaima".  
  
Kasumi looked up, and frowned imperceptibly. Ranma had been   
depressed for weeks since the failed wedding attempt. Although  
his father and her father had finally stopped pressuring the matter,  
it hadn't improved his mood. He wasn't eating much (Well, not much  
for Ranma), he didn't talk much, he didn't even argue with Akane   
much.   
  
There was something different about this depression, though.  
As though he had the weight of a world on his shoulders.  
  
"Ranma-kun, the furo's still hot if you want a bath, and...  
Oh! What a kawaii little bunny-rabbit!"  
  
Ranma shook his head to clear it, and realized that he had a   
shoulder full of lapine cuteness. "Um... yeah. My new pet. Name's  
Star. 'Cause of the mark, ne?"  
  
"He's adorable! But why did you get a pet?"  
  
"Um... well, I've been feeling down, and kinda thought a pet   
would maybe cheer me up. And I guess it's working a little." (Yeah,  
right.)  
  
"Well, it's the most precious thing I have ever seen!" Kasumi  
was fairly gushing. Star merely turned up the cute levels a few   
notches.  
  
"Would Star-chan like a carrot or some lettuce?"  
  
Star nodded. And then remembered he was supposed to be a dumb  
animal.  
  
"Oh, Ranma-kun! Such a clever bunny!" Kasumi was now   
officially enchanted.  
  
"Um... yeah, he, um, used to belong to a magician I think and he  
does tricks and he's even housebroken which is very unusual for a   
rabbit?" Ranma said in something of a panic.  
  
Kasumi wasn't listening any more, though, instead rapidly   
selecting a large carrot, paring it, washing the greens, and slipping  
it onto a paper plate. "Here you are, Star-chan! I hope you like  
it!"  
  
As Ranma took the carrot and the carrot-eater to his room, Star  
whispered, "I think I like her."  
  
"Everyone does."  
  
####  
  
Rei Hino gazed into flames.  
  
The fire watching was a mixture of meditation, clairvoyance,  
precognition, and relaxation. Right now, she was focused on the   
first and last.  
  
Relaxation was sometimes not easy for a Sailor Senshi to come  
by. The events of the Pharaoh 90 matter had been at times horrific.  
But again... somehow they'd pulled through.  
  
Sometimes she couldn't understand how they won this last one.  
Usagi's refusal to harm Mistress 9 -- Hotaru-- should have gotten  
them all killed. Instead...  
  
Instead, as she always did, somehow she persevered through  
love, hope, and sheer bloody-minded refusal to lie down and die.  
  
Whatever else one might say about Usagi Tsukino, she was not a   
quitter. No matter how much she wanted to be.  
  
But for now, Rei wasn't thinking of any of that. She was simply  
relaxing, losing herself in the flickering patterns of the flames,  
and allowing herself to enter the meditative state she so rarely  
had an opportunity to enjoy.  
  
It was probably the least desirable time for a vision to   
intrude.  
  
She saw a strange irregular crystal. A hidden face. A   
darkness. And for a flickering moment, the glimpse of a blue eye and  
red hair.  
  
She fell back, groaning. "Oh, no... not AGAIN..."  
  
It was a good thing she was meeting the others at the Fruits  
Parlor Crown. They had to be warned that something might happen.  
  
####  
  
Dinnertime at the Tendo residence.  
  
As it had been for the last few weeks, it was oddly subdued.  
Ranma ate in silence as he usually did nowadays, and people tended  
to match him. But this time there was a new tension in the air, one  
that wasn't easily defined.  
  
Ranma was timing this one perfectly. Anything Goes Martial  
Arts Surprise Announcement Technique. Just as his father was   
swallowing a rather large piece of fish, he mentioned casually,  
"Oh, by the way, got cured of my curse today."  
  
The now choking Genma was a pleasant sight. "You okay, Pop?"  
Ranma asked with dripping insincerity.  
  
Actually, the reactions around the table were pretty varied  
at this announcement.  
  
Akane froze, in sheer disbelief.  
  
Nabiki's chopsticks snapped as she realized that almost 15   
percent of her profit margin may have just dried up and blew away.  
  
Soun took on an expression much akin to a deer caught in a 5000  
watt spotlight.  
  
Kasumi smiled, and said "How nice for you!"  
  
Nodoka fainted in joy.  
  
Ranma went back to his meal, expecting chaos at any moment.  
He wasn't disappointed.  
  
"H-how did you get cured? How can I get cured?" his father  
demanded.  
  
"You can't. Only works once."  
  
"You mean you found a cure and denied your poor, long-suffering  
father release from his personal hell?"  
  
"What hell? You seem to like bein' a panda pretty much. And   
anyway, I didn't find a cure, it found me."  
  
"You could have waited, Saotome," mused Nabiki.  
  
"You mean for one last photo shoot, or the chance to sell the   
news about my cure? Sorry, I already told Cologne and certain other  
people about it, including Hiroshi and Daisuke. Guess by tomorrow  
it'll be all over town."  
  
Nabiki stared at Ranma's frankly nasty grin. She knew he wasn't  
happy with her about her part in the failed wedding, but...   
  
"You... you lost me that much opportunity? Do you know what you  
have done?"  
  
"Yeah. Took control of my life for once. Feels good."  
  
Ranma rose from the table, and added, "Well, I gotta groom my   
rabbit. See ya."  
  
"Wait-- at least tell me how it happened!"  
  
Ranma paused, and then held out a hand. "500 yen."  
  
Nabiki screamed in frustration as Akane found herself repressing  
laughter...  
  
####  
  
Makoto Kino was a romantic. But not in general a successful  
one.  
  
She was reading a cheap romance novel, trying to picture herself  
in the role of the heroine, and failing miserably. She was   
uncomfortably aware that she wasn't quite fit for that role.  
  
She was taller than most boys her age. Also stronger, faster,  
and a hell of a lot better fighter.  
  
This tended to intimidate said boys.  
  
True, this usually didn't matter (or so she told herself).  
Most boys she met were immature types, not quite what she was   
interested in. But every once in a while she'd see one...  
  
One who reminded her of her old-- no, that was a memory she   
should just let go of.  
  
(As if I could,) she thought ruefully. (Face it, Makoto, you   
can't go a week without seeing some cute guy who reminds you of your  
old sempai.)  
  
Well, someday she'd meet the right guy. Until then, she'd keep  
trying.   
  
Makoto was also an optimist.  
  
Idly she stood, tossing the novel into her purse, grabbed a bag  
of cookies she'd made for Motoki-- not to try to catch his interest,  
he had a girlfriend already-- but just because he was a nice guy, and  
headed out to the Crown to meet her friends. Besides, there might  
be a cute guy there.  
  
####  
  
"Got to admit, Star, your advice was worth it. I thought she'd  
die when I asked for the 500 yen."  
  
"Did she pay?"  
  
"Naw, but the only one who knows anything about how it happened  
is Cologne, and all she knows is a wandering kami passed by and   
decided to cure me. I ain't telling any of the rest, it's too   
embarrassing."  
  
"It's also a secret. You can't be a mysterious warrior if   
everyone knows who you are, you know."  
  
There was a knock on the door.  
  
Star quickly started to play "innocent little rabbit" as Ranma  
said, "Come in."  
  
Akane entered, trying to look severe. "That wasn't very nice  
to do to Nabiki, you know."  
  
"Wasn't meant to be. I ain't gonna let her control me ever   
again. I got other things to worry about."  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"Like how Kuno's going to react when he don't see his pig-tailed  
goddess any more, for example. Or the fact that my stupid pop ain't  
going to understand that that cure only works for me, and I can't  
repeat it, and I didn't do it in the first place. Or making a bed   
for Star here..."  
  
Akane took in the rabbit for the first time, and melted.   
"Awwww... what a kawaii little bunny rabbit!" she said in sugary  
tones.  
  
"People keep saying that. Star, this is Akane. Wave to the   
nice lady."  
  
Star, playing along, sat up on his haunches and waggled a paw.  
  
"Ooooo! What a SMART bunny!" Akane gushed.  
  
"Yep. And he's neat too. I'm gonna teach him the Art."  
  
"You're going to try to teach a rabbit martial arts?"  
  
Star looked uncertain at this also.  
  
"Sure, in case he gets lost and a dog tries to mess with him.  
So he can defend himself while I try to find him. I think it would  
be cool."  
  
"Well," Akane said uncertainly, "If anyone could teach a rabbit  
kempo I guess it would be you... Can I hold him?"  
  
Ranma looked at Star, who nodded imperceptibly. "Okay, but be   
careful. He's not as tough as P-Chan, I think."  
  
Akane gently took the rabbit in her arms, and scratched it   
behind the ear. Star closed his eyes, happily. "He's adorable."  
  
"People keep saying that too."  
  
"But why did you get a rabbit? I would have thought you'd want  
a dog or something like that..."  
  
"Oh, I've always liked rabbits. Tough critters in the wild,  
you know, real fighters. Besides, dogs are too much trouble,   
compared to rabbits." Again, Star's coaching came through as Akane  
accepted the fabrication.  
  
Akane reluctantly put the rabbit down. "I miss P-Chan...  
I haven't seen him in weeks..."  
  
"He'll turn up, maybe."  
  
For a while they talked, about inconsequential things, and then  
Akane left. And Ranma mused at the idea that they would actually  
just talk.  
  
Star smiled. He was here for more than one reason, after all--  
the Paragon was only the most important one.  
  
####  
  
Minako Aino.   
  
There was a heartbreak in her memory...   
  
She'd actually been the first of the Sailor Senshi to be called.  
She'd pretended to be the Princess to draw the attention of the Dark  
Kingdom. She'd traveled the world, especially Britain, fighting  
crime and the Dark Agency, and meeting--  
  
Alan.  
  
It still hurt, a little. But she knew that Katrina was really  
the right person for him.  
  
If only she could have been...  
  
It had been hard fighting alone. When she had teamed up with  
the others, it had been the best day of her life.  
  
About three months later came the worst one. Also the last one.  
  
Dying at D-Point wasn't ANY fun.  
  
Being reborn again and having at least a short while to be an   
ordinary girl had been.  
  
Then she had been reunited with her friends. That had been even  
better.  
  
Well, life was good, except when you got killed, or had your   
heart broken. Minako wasn't the sort to stay down for long. Just  
wasn't in her nature.  
  
She was sort of like Usagi that way.  
  
Which reminded her, it was time to meet with the others at the  
Crown. Maybe there was a new boy in the neighborhood, or a new manga  
series she hadn't heard about, or a new idol group, and if nothing  
else, Usagi and Rei could always be counted on for some   
entertainment.  
  
"Come on, Artemis, we don't want to be late, do we?"  
  
"What we? Luna and I usually wind up waiting outside anyhow..."  
  
"Cranky Kitty."  
  
####  
  
SPLASH!  
  
Ranma stood, soaked and fuming.  
  
"So... the rumor is true... you're cured and you refuse to share  
it."  
  
"Ryoga, dammit, I didn't find a cure, a cure found me! Some   
weird passing kami or something! And he was looking for me   
specifically, anyhow! There ain't nothing to share!"  
  
"You specifically?" The Eternally Lost Boy stared. "Only you?"  
  
"Yeah. Only me." (I guess they didn't need a magical pork   
roast to help save the world.)  
  
"How DARE you insult me so!"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"To suggest that the kami would choose you over me! DIE!"  
  
"Aw, no, not again!"  
  
It was an old dance. Ryoga lost his head, Ranma went into the  
usual routine of dodge and strike, nothing ever seemed to change.  
Until now.  
  
Suddenly Ranma realized that he was moving faster than usual.  
Faster, more gracefully, more nimbly. Almost like he used to in   
his...  
  
A-ha.  
  
Ryoga was confused. Ranma had never been this fast before,  
never this nimble, this agile, except when he was a...  
  
Oh, damn.  
  
The fight was shorter than usual. It ended with Ryoga embedded  
in the ground, expressing muffled curses. Ranma punted the lost boy  
out the gate, knowing that it would be at least a week before he saw  
him again (although he couldn't be certain about P-Chan) and went to  
talk to a certain rabbit.  
  
"Well... since it's not a curse, and since the Paragon is   
somewhat different from the old version of your girl side, I suppose  
that the girl side's old advantages just sort of shifted over to your  
boy side. You know how tough Paragon is," Star said.  
  
"Yeah. That was kinda embarrassing, to find that I was that   
much stronger as a girl... uh-oh. Does that mean my not-changed  
girl side is gonna be weak or slow now?"  
  
"I don't think so, but we'll check tomorrow-- aggh..."  
  
Ranma leaned forwards. "Hey, you okay, Star?"  
  
"D-Darkness... I sense the darkness. It's started... Damn,  
wanted to train you more..."  
  
"Where? Can we get to it?"  
  
"I can take you there. Change and follow me."  
  
Ranma had seen many things in his short life that defied   
reality.   
  
Star went beyond defiance, and mooned reality while giving it   
the metaphorical finger.  
  
A 60 MPH rabbit counts, anyhow. Then again, so does a 60 MPH   
Paragon.  
  
####  
  
There are few things that spoil the enjoyment of a strawberry  
parfait quite like the panic stricken scream of someone who has just  
been attacked by a monster. In the opinion of the Sailor Senshi,  
it was also uncomfortably frequent.  
  
After nearly two years of this, the reaction had become routine.  
Find a quiet place to change, and do so. Go out, find out where the  
scream came from--  
  
And stare at what seemed to be a tall girl in a rhinestone  
bikini with a hairbrush stuck in her head, crouching over an   
unconscious girl.  
  
"Is it just me, or do the enemies just get daffier and daffier  
looking overtime?" asked Sailor Venus.  
  
"It's not just you," gritted Mars. "And I thought the Daimon  
looked weird."  
  
The hairbrush-head turned, and snorted. "Intruders. Enemies.  
Go away."  
  
"Not likely! Whatever you are, we won't let you hurt that girl!  
Agent of Love and Justice, Bishojo Senshi Sailor Moon! In the name  
of the moon, I will punish you!"  
  
"Senshi? You are... senshi?"  
  
Sailor Moon blinked. "Um... I just said that, right?"  
  
"Senshi. Die."  
  
The ground began to waver, and things appeared. Squat, vaguely  
feminine things, like female trolls made of clay. And there were a   
lot of them.  
  
"What the hell ARE those?" asked Jupiter.  
  
The thing with the hairbrush stood over an unconscious  
girl, examining her. "Pah. No StarGem in her. Well, she dies then,  
for her death energy. Kill those... Senshi, Ur-Golems. That at   
least will please the Master."  
  
"Doesn't work that way," came an unfamiliar female voice.  
  
And all eyes turned to the shadowed figure, who said--  
  
"From out of darkness comes a light. From out of Chaos comes  
a champion. To attack the innocent for your dark ambitions can never  
be forgiven. Judgment has been made-- and you are found wanting."  
  
"And who are you?" snarled the Ur-Demon.  
  
The figure stepped into the light.   
  
She was not very tall-- a hair taller than Usagi, maybe, but   
maybe not. She wore a sort of metallic silver strapless leotard  
that left no doubt that she was of mammalian decent, and a matching  
silver choker. A open front black mini-vest accented the revealing  
bodywear. Black thigh-high boots and elbow-length gloves added to   
the effect, as did the twin thin black belts that draped her hips in  
an X pattern. The final accents were a complex dragon-shaped  
circlet of silver in her free flowing mane of crimson hair, matching  
earrings, and a black mask that, although sparse and hiding nothing  
really of her face, still seemed to be concealing.  
  
"I am... the Paragon."  
  
Before the hairbrush headed thing could react, the Paragon  
had leapt over twenty meters in a flat arc, to plant a heel in it's  
gut. "Oh, and I don't like you," she added.  
  
Hairbrush oofed.  
  
The Senshi, meanwhile, found themselves having to deal with the  
Ur-Golems. And they weren't having a very hard time of it at all.  
Without the Ur-Demon to direct them, they Ur-Golems had all the   
tactical capability of a tin of bad salmon. Everyone was using their  
basic attacks. No need to use an improved one-- these things were  
cheese. Even Sailor Chibi-Moon had taken one out with the Pink Sugar  
Heart Attack.  
  
"Are these supposed to be a threat?" demanded Jupiter. "They're  
ugly, but they break easy!" She hadn't even bothered with a power  
attack. A nearby 2x4 left from a construction site and her own   
muscles were doing just fine.  
  
"You noticed-- this is silly!" replied Sailor Moon, clubbing  
another Ur-Golem into dust by the simple expedient of hitting it with  
the Spiral Heart Moon Rod, as opposed to hitting it with a really  
big pink heart. "Kinda fun, though!"  
  
"YATTA!" cried Chibi-Moon as she took down a second thingy.  
"I'm getting to beat up monsters all by myself!"  
  
Mercury stared as a pack of Ur-Golems melted under a Shabon  
Spray -- which normally doesn't DO any damage. "These things are a   
joke! What possessed that creature to summon them?"  
  
Hairbrush knew why the Senshi were having an easy time of it.   
This damn silver and black clad bitch. Her constant attacks were   
distracting her from pushing any energy into the golems.  
  
"You... you dare interfere-- DANDRUFF SWARM!"  
  
"Dan-- OW!" Paragon had not expected to be hit by a flurry  
of armor piercing head flakes. Then again, who would?  
  
"DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE!" raved the Ur-Demon.  
  
"Let me guess," Paragon retorted, now dodging the bursts of   
damaged scalp, "You aren't wishing me a long and happy life, are   
you?"  
  
"ARRGH! FULL ULTIMATE DANDRUFF ASSAULT!"  
  
(Oh, crap...) "PARA SHIELD!"  
  
The hairbrush Ur-Demon was now pushing all her power into an   
assault against the Paragon. Said Paragon had created a star-shaped  
plane of force in front of her, blocking the assault.  
  
Now that the Ur-Demon's attention was totally on the Paragon,  
the golems began to crumble by themselves. Relieved of the need to   
fight the weak but plentiful creatures, they turned their attention  
to the struggle between the Ur-Demon and Paragon.  
  
Paragon was discovering a small problem. While she was using  
the Para Shield, she couldn't attack-- either her normal attacks  
or the Paragon attacks she'd only just learned. One at a time, so   
far. This sucked. And she wasn't certain she could hold out   
forever.  
  
She wasn't certain who the cheerleaders were, but she called  
out to them, "Hey, can you call the army or something? I'm not sure  
how long I can hold Miss Bad Hair Day off!"  
  
Sailor Moon smiled. And began to do her thing.  
  
"You can't possibly think that you can outlast me, human!"  
snarled the Ur-Demon.  
  
Paragon sensed a buildup of energy. A LOT of energy. Hey,   
those weren't cheerleaders, those were-- well, what do you know?   
They DO exist.  
  
"Ever hear of a delaying tactic, bristle brain?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"MOON SPIRAL HEART ATTACK!"  
  
"What? What did she.......lovely..."  
  
Paragon stared.   
  
Then she walked over to Sailor Moon, and said, "Did you actually  
just hit that thing with a nine foot wide giant pink heart?"  
  
Sailor Moon blinked. Of all the times she had used the attack,  
that question had never managed to come up. "Um... well, yeah,   
but... but it works, right?"  
  
"Can't argue with that. Well, I'm likely to be seeing you.   
Ja!"  
  
Before she could leave, Sailor Mars cried out, "Wait! Who are  
you?"  
  
"I said it before. I'm the Paragon."  
  
"No, I mean who ARE you?" demanded the Senshi of fire.  
  
Paragon paused, and then allowed a smirk to cross her face.   
"You know, that's a pretty stupid question."  
  
Mars stiffened. "Stupid? How is it stupid?"  
  
"Aw, come ON. If I WANTED you to know who I was, I wouldn't  
wear a mask, now would I?" With that, she leapt to a rooftop and   
zipped away at speeds that defied reality.  
  
None of them noticed that she was being followed by an equally  
fast rabbit.  
  
####  
  
"I don't trust her." Rei was not happy with Paragon's reply.  
  
"Aw, You only say that because she got you with a real good   
zinger," teased Usagi.  
  
"We don't know anything about her... except she's definitely  
not a Senshi," added Ami.  
  
"Luna, Artemis, do you have any ideas?" asked Minako.  
  
Artemis sighed. "Not a clue. I'm certain there was nothing  
like her in the Silver Millennium."  
  
"Well, we know one thing about her. She's some sort of a   
martial artist. Although I don't know any martial arts that let you  
jump up 20 meters and create magical shields," said Makoto.  
  
"I thought she was really cool. And I thought she dressed  
really neat. Maybe we should find out where she gets her clothes  
from," input Chibi-Usa.  
  
"I don't think that's such a good idea," sweated Usagi, an   
unnerving vision of Chibi-Usa in Paragon's outfit coming to mind,  
except where there was silver her's was a metallic pink.  
  
Luna was silent. As much as she tried, she couldn't remember  
anything like the girl tonight from the Silver Millennium. And if   
she wasn't from the Millennium, then she was...  
  
Something else.  
  
This would bear watching.  
  
####  
  
Paragon dashed across the rooftops, laughing.  
  
"So, it wasn't so bad, then?" Star inquired.  
  
"Bad? BAD? I've never felt so alive in my life! I don't like  
being a girl at the best of times, but I think I could get used to   
being a magical girl when I gotta! And I feel a lot better after  
actually seeing the Sailor Senshi for real!"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because no matter how stupid this outfit is, it's nowhere  
NEAR as silly as theirs are!"  
  
And shifting into first female mortal mode, and then himself,  
Ranma Saotome went home.  
  
####  
  
END episode one 


	3. Episode Two: Who IS this girl? Ranma's ...

"Six Senshi. Six. On one planet. This  
is NOT good for the Master's plans."  
  
"And this other?"  
  
"This... Paragon. Also powerful, and obviously opposed to us.  
It seems that finding the StarGem will not be nearly as simple as we  
had thought."  
  
"Then a simple Ur-Demon and Golems aren't enough. We'll have  
to send someone to command them."  
  
"I'd suggest Ferriko. She's done well in the past."  
  
"Well enough. As long as she remembers what her main objective  
is."  
  
"To find the StarGem."  
  
"Not... entirely. As long as we are opposed, finding the   
StarGem will be difficult."  
  
"I see. Then... We have another objective as well."  
  
"Yes. Find and kill the Senshi-- and the Paragon."  
  
####  
  
Robert Haynie Presents  
  
A Sailor Moon / Ranma 1/2 fanfiction  
  
PARAGON  
  
Episode Two: Who is this girl? Ranma's new identity!  
  
####  
  
Ranma tugged at the uncomfortable collar and grimaced. "Man,  
why do I have to wear this stupid thing?"  
  
"Don't ask me, ask your mother," replied Star. "Besides,  
you don't look half bad in it."  
  
"Just because I'm cured--"  
  
"Controlled."  
  
"Whatever. Still no reason for me to start wearing a stupid  
uniform anyway."  
  
"You know as well as I do that the only reason you got away with  
wearing that tang all the time was because of your problems with cold  
water. Now that that's a thing of the past, she's going to insist  
on your dressing 'properly', if I'm any judge of character. And I   
am."  
  
"Well... guess I don't look so bad after all..." Ranma checked  
himself out in the mirror. There was a certain panache in the cut of  
the Furinkan High School uniform, at that. "And I can still fight  
in it, and you can bet I'm going to have to."  
  
"Is this Kuno guy really that much of an idiot?" wondered  
the magical rabbit.  
  
"Nope. He's not smart enough to be called an idiot. His whole  
family is a pack of one hundred and fifty percent loons. They make  
me look normal."  
  
"What's abnormal about you?"  
  
"Other than the fact that I'm the first ever male magical girl?  
Nothing at all." Ranma frowned. He'd have to check out parts of the  
school for private places to change if the Paragon was needed again.  
And he was pretty damn certain that the matter wasn't over by a long  
shot.  
  
Of course, he was right.  
  
####  
  
Her name was technically Usagi, but there wasn't a single person  
alive in this time period who called her that. Most called her by   
the more familiar nom-de-childe, Chibi-Usa. Except for the person  
who would one day be her mother, who was more likely than not to call  
her "Spore", "Fungus", and recently, "Ninjin-atama" (Carrot-head),  
due to the shape and color of the odangos she habitually wore .  
  
Chibi-Usa didn't give a whit about being called Spore or Fungus,  
but Ninjin-atama was beginning to get on her preadolescent  
nerves.  
  
It just didn't seem fair to the youngest of the Pretty Fighters  
for Love and Justice that her baka mother to be should come up with  
a good zinger like that. She wasn't supposed to, in her opinion.  
  
Don't mistake her-- she truly loved her "cousin" Usagi, but the  
rivalry between them was now force of habit. Besides, it was usually  
in good fun. Well, at least she thought so.  
  
And somehow, although she knew it intellectually, it was at   
times hard emotionally to connect the graceful Queen Serenity of   
Crystal Tokyo and the not particularly graceful Usagi Tsukino of   
Juuban Junior High together. Somehow they didn't even seem to look  
alike...  
  
Except in battle, especially a hard battle. Then the power of   
Serenity shone through, the hope and bravery and sheer goodness.  
THEN she could believe.  
  
Well, she could also believe when Usagi tried to cook. Serenity  
had never gotten the hang of it herself, and it was widely known in   
the Crystal Palace that when the Queen was feeling "domestic",  
to precall for takeout just in case she hadn't picked to prepare  
curry. Serenity did a mean curry rice, but almost anything else...  
  
On the other hand, with Ikuko-mama helping, Chibi-Usa was a fair  
cook for her age. Except for one thing.  
  
For the life of her, she couldn't cook curry at all. Then   
again, neither could Endymion. Like father, like daughter...  
  
Said future father was talking to aforementioned future mother.  
Not their usual quiet intimacies or discussions of how to improve  
Usagi's grades (a matter of some concern to Mamoru Chiba) but the   
mysterious fighter that had appeared the day before.  
  
"So... Rei doesn't trust her?"  
  
Usagi shook her head. "But she doesn't say that because she has  
any bad aura or anything, she just doesn't like her attitude.  
She got Rei really good, you see... And also because whatever  
she is she's definitely not a Senshi."  
  
"Are you sure? We didn't know about the Outers before, and they  
were Senshi..."  
  
"And they dressed the part too. She wasn't dressed like   
anything I've ever seen before. Um... except in a swimwear catalog  
I have. Besides, she didn't call herself a Senshi or a Sailor,  
but the Paragon. Mamo-chan... what does that mean?"  
  
Mamoru thought a moment. "It's an English word, meaning 'Ideal'  
or 'Best Example'. You know, when you think about it, all the Senshi  
names are also in English-- except Chibi-Moon-- and when you perform  
an attack, you use English too. I wonder why that is? Perhaps  
there's another connection."  
  
"Well, neither Luna or Artemis can think of one."  
  
"Perhaps we should ask Haruka or Michiru. They might know   
something. A pity Setsuna's vanished again. Not that she'd answer  
any questions."  
  
Usagi looked morose. She didn't hold out much hope of getting  
any help from the Outer Senshi-- who more likely than not would   
assume that since the Inners had handled it before, they would   
continue to do so. Neptune and Uranus-- especially Uranus-- weren't  
always what she felt was friendly. And Mamoru was completely  
correct about Pluto's tendency to limit information to a need to know  
basis-- herself being the only one who needed to know.  
  
"I hope we see her again... and get a chance to talk to her. I   
don't care what Rei thinks, I trust her. I think she's on our side."  
  
"Well, Usako, considering your track record in that area, I'm   
inclined to agree..."  
  
####  
  
Akane looked up at the fence-rail at her fiancé, who was   
whistling happily instead of the somber boy of the last few weeks.  
It seemed that his cure had cheered him up no end.  
  
She hoped it would give her the confidence to finally tell her  
what she was so certain of-- that he loved her, that he did want to   
marry her.  
  
Somehow it never occurred to her that she might try saying it   
first. But like many women, Akane thought that it should be   
obvious-- and that it was the man who should say it first anyhow.  
  
Except he wasn't saying it. Baka.  
  
"NIHAO!"  
  
Damn. It was all going to start again. Shampoo would glomp  
on him, and he wouldn't even try to get away-- well, he would, but he  
should deck her, except he didn't like to hit girls, and anyhow how  
did she know he didn't secretly enjoy it, and why didn't he commit  
to one person, and--  
  
Then Ranma vaulted over the red bicycle that would normally  
have planted itself on his chest (if not face) and continued on to   
school. Without apparently thinking.  
  
The only person who was more astonished than Akane at the casual  
avoidance was Shampoo, who lost control and fell into the ditch that  
ran alongside the fence. Drenched, the now Shampoo-Neko trudged  
back to her home, wondering what the hell had gotten into her airen.  
  
Ranma continued to whistle. He had hardly noticed Shampoo,  
in fact-- he'd merely reacted to an incoming threat. The changes  
wrought by his accepting the role of the Paragon weren't just the   
Paragon's. He was now a composite of the best physical qualities  
of his male and female forms-- and so, claimed Star, was his now   
secret female form. And when he was the Paragon-- but that was   
different. That was a responsibility, not a gift. That was...   
special. A secret. Just as the fact that he wasn't exactly cured  
was a secret. One that he had to keep no matter what.  
  
Martial Arts didn't mean a thing next to saving the world.  
  
Now, THERE was a thought that he'd never EVER thought he'd   
think. The idea that something more important than the Art was   
almost, well, sacrilegious. But when he was the Paragon...  
  
There were, literally, no words for it. The sheer rush of   
power, of the undefinable rightness of it... of the Purpose.  
  
His life hadn't really had much in the way of purpose before  
this. For ten years it had been training in the Art-- not so much  
a purpose as a lifestyle.   
  
Then for about the last two it had been training in the Art,   
trying to balance two fiancees (At one time three), a determined  
Amazon who figured they were already married, and a lunatic gymnast,  
dealing with a series of challenges that were best described as just  
plain nuts, and randomly turning into a girl at some of the least  
opportune moments. Oh, and avoiding a possible suicide pact. Again,  
pretty interesting, he supposed, but not exactly what one would call  
a purpose.  
  
The closest thing he could call feeling as though he actually  
meant anything were those few times he was using the Art to help   
someone instead of trying to keep the latest loony from killing  
him for some completely insane reason. Then he had felt alive.  
  
And as Paragon... Alive wasn't the word. He wasn't certain  
what the word was-- he had to admit that his vocabulary wasn't as   
large as it probably should have been-- but whatever it was, it was  
something he'd LIKED. Liked a LOT.  
  
If only he didn't have to turn into a girl wearing a really  
revealing outfit to do it. Cripes, even those Senshi got to wear   
more than he did. (Or was that she? Paragon was a girl, after all.)  
Well, more where it counted. On the other hand, what they wore was  
downright silly looking. (In his opinion, anyhow.)  
  
Oh, looky. School. And the single person who he actually  
came close to detesting in the world. Tatewaki Kuno, the Blue   
Thunder of Furinkan High.  
  
Ranma had come to the understandable conclusion that Blue   
Thunder was some secret code meaning Total and Complete Idiot.  
  
"So, Saotome, you still dare to show your misbegotten   
countenance at these hallowed halls of education even after I justly  
halted that foul attempt to bind the fair Akane Tendo in an unholy  
rite of oof."  
  
Kuno had MEANT "Unholy rite of matrimony", but Ranma's simple  
punch in the gut had forced him to rephrase that somewhat.  
  
"Ain't got time, 'Sempai', gotta get to class."  
  
"You.. you will call me moron..." said a somewhat dazed Kuno,  
getting the usual morning conversation backwards, but oddly accurate.  
He then fell over, which, after two years of practice, he was very  
good at indeed.  
  
"Gladly. Come on, Akane, don't wanna be late, ne?"  
  
Akane was beginning to wonder about Ranma. No taunting Kuno,  
no flashy moves like the habitual leap-kick -- just a short, brutal  
blow to the stomach. Not like Ranma at all.  
  
Almost as if he had more important things to think about.  
  
####  
  
In the case of Usagi Tsukino, she did have more important  
things to think about. Being Usagi, she wasn't thinking about them  
at the moment. She was too busy standing in the hall with a placard  
around her neck reading "Tardy".  
  
For almost any other student at Juuban Junior High, this would  
be a matter of intense embarrassment. For Usagi, it had become   
something of a matter of routine. Besides, it wasn't really her   
fault, she felt. Luna should have woken her earlier.  
  
Usagi conveniently forgot that Luna HAD woken her three times  
that morning, but then, she usually did. In a choice between the   
wonders and majesty of a modern education and an extra five minutes  
of nappy-time, give her the nappy-time any day.  
  
One might not agree with Usagi's priorities, but no-one could  
deny that she definitely had them.  
  
Besides, if she had been on time, she would have fallen asleep  
in class and wound up in the hall anyhow. School was so BORING.  
She tried, she really did, to get as interested as Ami or Rei in it--  
but she just couldn't. Even when Luna said that as the future Queen  
of Crystal Tokyo she owed it to her subjects to be well educated,  
she couldn't work up any enthusiasm. It was a small comfort that   
Makoto and Minako were equally little interested, even if they did   
get somewhat better grades. Although in the case of Minako, not by   
much...  
  
And anyhow, she was passing, what with Ami's study tips and the  
regular informal juku at the temple and Mamoru's encouragement  
and most of all Luna's just plain scolding. It was amazing how   
useful the scorn of a cat could be for short-term motivation.  
  
Hmm. There was something more boring than class, now that she  
thought of it. Standing outside class with a sign around her neck.  
THAT was really boring.  
  
Usagi's mind began to wander, and to drift again to the strange  
fighter from the day before. The Paragon.   
  
If she had appeared in a proper Sailor fuku and tiara, Usagi  
wouldn't have bat an eye. After the Pharaoh 90 matter, she'd have  
just asked what world she was a senshi of and said Welcome.   
  
But instead this new player was dressed like something out of...  
what WAS the name of that artist Mamo-chan liked so much? Oh yeah.  
Masamune Shirow. Built like something out of his work, too. Maybe  
Rei was a bit jealous. Heck, Usagi was a little jealous herself,  
she had to admit.  
  
Not that even if she HAD had that sort of body, she'd ever have  
the nerve to wear something that... sexy. She didn't think any of   
the others would either. No, Paragon was not a Sailor Senshi by any  
stretch of the imagination.  
  
Which bought up the question-- what was she?  
  
Somehow Usagi had a feeling that the answer would be something  
totally unbelievable...  
  
####  
  
The word had gone out that Ranma was cured. Of course, more   
than one person felt compelled to test that. After the first six   
experiments, Ranma became somewhat irritable. Experimenter  
number seven was experimented on himself by being thrown fifty meters  
into the swimming pool.  
  
This put a damper on experiments.  
  
To Ranma's considerable annoyance, a fair number of the male   
population of Furinkan began to complain that Ranma had been   
unreasonably selfish in accepting the cure, since they no longer  
had the innocent pleasure of leering at his female form. This ceased  
after complainer number five also took an impromptu tour of   
Furinkan's aquatic facilities.  
  
Of all the disappointed people, number one was Nabiki.  
  
Ranma's curse had been a serious boost to her finances. It had  
also been her primary source of amusement for nearly two years--  
there was no end of fun and excitement that that little case of   
aquatranssexuality had provided.  
  
And the jerk went and got cured.  
  
It wasn't fair.  
  
Worse, there was no doubt in her mind that Ranma wasn't telling  
the whole truth about what had happened. A passing kami-- yeah,   
right. There had to be a lot more to it than that, and the barbarian  
wasn't coming forward with it. Ranma was hiding something.  
  
Hiding it from HER. Totally unacceptable.  
  
Last night she'd tried to corner him about the matter, and had  
received an answer that she'd never thought she'd get from Ranma...  
  
"None of your business, Tendo."  
  
Damn him. He'd been so damn cool and collected about it too.  
Just tossed that retort with casual ease. Not like the Ranma she   
knew at all.  
  
Was it merely being cured that had wrought this change? Or had  
he undergone more than a cure? Whatever it was, she would find out.  
Nobody held out on Nabiki Tendo. Nobody.  
  
Right?  
  
####  
  
Class was, for once, a quiet affair that day. Comparatively  
speaking, that is.  
  
No fights broke out, no yelling matches happened, and Ranma   
stayed awake, listening. Obviously bored as hell, but he stayed  
awake and listened.  
  
In other words, Ranma Saotome was actually making something  
of an effort to learn in class for once. This caused some of the   
other students to get really distracted.  
  
An attentive Ranma was, after all, something along the nature  
of three of the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse riding in with a note  
from Famine saying "Sorry, I'll be late, had to stop for a beef   
bowl".  
  
Akane was one of the distracted ones. Ever since the day   
before, Ranma had been acting less and less like himself. Then   
again, she'd never known an uncursed Ranma. Could it be that this  
was the real one? The real Ranma? One she'd never known before?  
  
How much did a cure change a person?  
  
How much did a curse?  
  
Had someone told her that the reason Ranma was paying attention  
was because a rabbit had suggested that it might be a good idea,   
well... she might well have believed it. Stranger things had   
happened before in Ranma's life.  
  
####  
  
The Evening Before--  
  
"You grades aren't very good, you know."  
  
"Ah, I'm a martial artist, not a scholar. I never understood  
what use all this school was anyhow."  
  
Star sighed. "Great. I have to train a stupid Paragon. What  
kind of Paragon is that?"  
  
Ranma glared at the bunny. "Hey, I ain't stupid!"  
  
"No, I guess you aren't..."  
  
Ranma began to smirk, when Star followed up with, "Only woefully  
ignorant. Cherry Coke is not an illegal drug. You're sure hitting  
one stereotype for sure, you know."  
  
"Stereo... whatever?"  
  
"Yeah. All these magical girls in these manga are lousy   
students also. Looks like you'll fit right in."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Yep. You'll be wearing twinned ponytails any day now. Just  
like Pretty Sammy."  
  
"Why, you baka bunny... I'll show YOU who's a stereophone!"  
  
"Stereotype."  
  
"Whatever! I'm gonna become just as great a student as I am a   
martial artist!"  
  
Star concealed a smirk-- rather easy to do when you're a   
rabbit-- and congratulated himself on his talent for pushing the   
right buttons. After all, a Paragon DID need to be reasonably  
educated. He sat back on his haunches as Ranma began to study--  
for once, with actual fervor.  
  
After a short while, Star began to help. A magical mascot is as  
much a tutor as anything else, sometimes...  
  
####  
  
Ranma was bored. But he was determined to prove that he could  
be just as good a student as he was a fighter. And since he no   
longer had to worry about changing-- accidentally, that is-- he found  
that he could concentrate a bit better. In fact, he could think   
better in general.  
  
Eventually, P.E. began. After three more cold water attempts  
in the locker room and three severe bruisings, it finally sank into  
the heads of the hormonal idiots of Furinkan that there was no more  
Onna-Ranma to gawk at.   
  
There was much despondency.  
  
Drying off, Ranma wondered if any of these people had anything  
even resembling a life. He was beginning to doubt it.  
  
P.E. began as usual.   
  
It didn't stay that way.  
  
Kuno had decided, once again, to punish the wicked. The wedding  
attempt had unnerved him more than he cared to admit-- since   
apparently Akane had been so deep in the sorcerers enchantment  
that she had been-- horror of horrors-- about to actually wed the   
foul Magus Saotome.   
  
Worse, he had been informed by Nabiki Tendo that it was entirely  
probable that photographs of the Pig-Tailed girl might well no longer  
be forthcoming. The reasons were not explained, for Nabiki had   
merely said that "She's left Tokyo", a statement that was on the face  
of it implausible, since how could she possibly bear to do so and   
abandon Tatewaki Kuno?  
  
The only possible explanation was the sorcery of Ranma Saotome.  
  
So it wasn't a surprise to anyone that Kuno, who had somehow  
never managed to make the real connection between the Pig-Tailed  
girl and Ranma, despite having seen the transformation before his   
eyes on numerous occasions, confronted Ranma during a game of   
baseball.  
  
"Foul demon! What have you done with the Pig-Tailed girl?"  
  
Ranma sighed. He had known that this was going to happen.  
And there was no way that he'd be able to convince Kuno of the truth.  
Kuno's reflexive distrust of Ranma was to a level that if Ranma had  
said the sum of two and two was four, Kuno would have hired   
mathematicians to make it five.  
  
"Ain't done anything to her. She's just left, is all."  
  
"Liar! She would never leave me!"  
  
"Like she was ever WITH you?"  
  
"Cease your ill-considered mockery, Saotome! Where has she   
gone? What have you done with her?"  
  
Ranma was hit by a sudden spark of inspiration. If Kuno   
wouldn't believe the truth, and only kept to the improbable delusions  
of his mind--  
  
"Well, basically, she went back to her own planet."  
  
Kuno froze. His jaw fell a good three-quarters of a meter,  
his eyes bugged, and his bokken fell to the ground from his lax   
fingers.  
  
"Her... her what?"  
  
"Well, you always said she had an unearthly beauty, right?   
Turns out she was an alien princess. And her two years on Earth   
studying us were over, so she had to go home. Explains a lot, don't  
it?"  
  
"Princess... alien... oh, thou gods and goddesses of the   
heart, how sad must she be to be forced to return to the cold depths  
of space, separated from my embrace! I leave, sparing you for the   
moment, to begin to find a way to communicate with her during her   
bereavement!"  
  
The assembled students stared as Kuno wandered off, mumbling  
about SETI and how best to arrange for satellite time.  
  
"I can't believe that worked," Daisuke murmured to Hiroshi.  
  
"It's got to be the lamest, stupidest excuse ever conceived  
by man. Of COURSE Kuno bought it," noted Hiroshi to Daisuke.  
  
####  
  
School was over for the day, and Ranma had changed into his   
preferred Chinese clothing. Which, he was realizing, he wouldn't  
get to wear for very long. According to the rabbit, anyhow.  
  
"Do I have to?"  
  
"You can't access any of the gear unless you're a girl, Ranma.  
And there's certain equipment that goes with the job. As you are   
now, all you have is the Amulet, and you can't use it as a boy."  
  
"Bleah." Ranma looked about the alley, and closed his eyes for  
a moment, concentrating-- thinking girl, as Star put it-- and   
changed. She looked down and grimaced.  
  
"Aw, MAN. Where did THIS outfit come from?"  
  
Star began to giggle. "Looks like you're going to have to   
practice generating a wardrobe, Ranma-chan."  
  
"None of that! I gotta think of a different name for when I'm  
like this." She looked down at the blue pleated skirt and white   
sailor-collared blouse with the ludicrous red bow. "This looks like  
a school uniform. Wonder what school?"  
  
"Search me. Now, we need to practice with the compact--  
uh-oh." Star darted behind a waste can as someone approached.  
  
Ranma turned to see the last person she wanted to see as a   
girl-- Nabiki. (Damn... she must have been following me. She's   
still suspicious about the cure-- and she'll recognize me, and--   
DAMN.)  
  
But instead Nabiki looked about blankly, murmuring, "I thought  
I saw him duck into here..."  
  
(What? She... she doesn't recognize me?)  
  
"Excuse me, have you seen a boy, about yea tall, black hair in a  
pigtail, pass this way?"  
  
(Think fast, Ranma. Think very fast...)  
  
Ranma put on an expression of sheer confusion. "You mean the   
boy that ran up the wall?"  
  
Nabiki paused. (Sounds like the kind of stunt Ranma would pull  
off.) "Probably."  
  
Ranma pointed. "He ran up the wall. Well, he more hopped on a   
ledge and again up. It was really cool! Do you know him? He was   
really handsome, I think, although I didn't get a good look at him   
because he was so fast. Are you his girlfriend? What's his name?  
Do you know his blood type? Blood type is awfully important,  
isn't it? Where is he from..."  
  
As the redhead continued to prattle, Nabiki's eyes began to   
glaze over. It was clear that no useful information would be   
forthcoming from this kid. "Ah... his name's Ranma, and I'm not   
his... Um, I have to go. Thank you for your help."  
  
Nabiki left, and after a few minutes, Ranma began to laugh   
hysterically. "Whoo-hoo, that was fun! Hey, Star, why didn't she   
recognize me?"  
  
"I don't think you look the same. Well, I mean, it's the same  
sort of thing that keeps the Paragon from being rec... rec...   
BWAH-HAHAHAHAHA!!!" The Magical Rabbit rolled out from behind the   
can, hysterically guffawing. "Gomen, can't help it-- you were acting  
like... like..."  
  
"Like an airhead?" Ranma grinned. "That was the idea. I just  
had a great idea, see? If I got three identities, then if I make the  
girl one as different from me as I can, it'll make it harder for   
people to connect her with the Paragon or Ranma. Um... is that a   
good idea?"  
  
"Hey, it worked for Clark Kent, ne? Now, let's try the   
compact."  
  
"Okay." Ranma produced a small compact-- grimacing at it's   
innate cuteness. Pink. She hated pink. With rhinestones in a   
star-shaped pattern, yet, like the Amulet. "How does this work?"  
  
"Well, it let's you track weaknesses in the fabric of the   
dimensional walls so as to determine where a possible Dark intrusion  
may happen. You look at the mirror and concentrate."  
  
"And what does the powder and puff do?"  
  
"They let you powder your nose."  
  
Ranma rolled her eyes, and gazed at the mirror. And then   
scowled. "Um... Star, I think I see something already..."  
  
"What? Damn. Try map mode. Think map."  
  
The hazy but menacing vision in the small mirror resolved  
into a street map. "It's not very precise, but it's somewhere  
in Juuban. Like yesterday. Should I henshin?"  
  
"Not yet... but we probably should get there fast anyhow. Go   
Ranma and start roofhopping."  
  
"Why not as I am now?"  
  
"You WANT people looking up your skirt?"  
  
"Um... I don't really care, but I suppose I should pretend  
I do?"  
  
"Exactly."  
  
A shapeshift later, and Ranma ran up the wall (He KNEW it would  
work) and started on his way to Juuban, followed by a very fast   
rabbit.  
  
####  
  
Makoto Kino was walking down the street, idly contemplating  
either a sundae or a bit of boy watching before the scheduled  
Sailor meeting at Rei's shrine, when she heard a soft impact behind  
her. Reflexes took over and she spun, ready to--  
  
Fall in love. Again.  
  
She watched the youth walk away, (failing to notice the rabbit  
that followed him) and sighed. Perfect. That hair, those eyes,   
those shoulders, that butt-- Oh, MAN, that butt--   
  
The perfect man had appeared out of nowhere.  
  
She HAD to meet him. She just HAD to. Before any of the others  
could, that is.  
  
Of course, that was the cue for Minako to walk by, wave at   
Makoto, and freeze in sheer fascination as the lad in the Chinese  
clothes passed her. Her expression was almost identical to Makoto's,  
except possibly a wee bit more dreamy. This did not sit well with  
said Makoto, who walked up to Minako and glared.  
  
"I saw him first, Mina-chan."  
  
"Yeah? And I suppose he looks just like your old sempai too?"  
  
"No. Sempai NEVER looked that good. And I saw him FIRST."  
  
"What does that have to do with anything?"  
  
"It has everything to do with everything! I saw him first!  
And-- aw, he's gone! You made me lose him!"  
  
"Me? What did I do?"  
  
"You looked at him!"  
  
"Mako-chan, any girl who's not dead, cremated, and scattered  
over the sea is going to look at a boy THAT cute. Besides, **sigh**  
he HAS to have a girlfriend already. No way is someone like that   
unclaimed."  
  
Makoto added a sigh of her own. "You're probably right.   
Still... won't hurt to check?"  
  
"True enough. Let's go!"  
  
Two boy-hunters and part time heroines of Justice set off to   
find the perfect boy they had just seen. Who didn't exist any more.  
  
####  
  
(Girl again. At least I'm not wearing that stupid fuku. And I   
don't look like a total idiot.)  
  
Pastel green skirt, yellow blouse, cute socks and flats.   
Ordinary girl on the street. Well, ordinary girl on the street with  
a rabbit on her shoulder.   
  
"So," whispered Ranma, "Any ideas yet on a cover name?"  
  
"I thought of a few... Ranko?"  
  
"I've done that for ages, and it would give me away."  
  
"Hmm... Kikuko?"  
  
"Yeah, right. Sound's like something my mom would name a   
daughter. No way."  
  
"Rumiko?"  
  
"Hmm... I don't know, has potential, but I don't think so..."  
  
"How about Fred?"  
  
"No broccoli for you tonight."  
  
"Meanie."  
  
"Anyhow, I think I've got a better fix on that weakness thingy.  
Somewhere near that block."  
  
"Hmm... All right. I've got more accurate mystic senses than  
you do-- at least for now, so I'll go and scout the area. You wait  
here, okay?"  
  
Ranma paused, and nodded. "Be careful. I'll probably wait in   
that cafe over there."  
  
"Works for me. In a bit..."  
  
And shortly after Star went to see what he could find, Ranma  
was blindsided.  
  
####  
  
Usagi wished that for once Sailor meetings took detention  
into account. As it was, she was late. Again.  
  
How was it that she could manage to arrive at a battle with a   
youma or the like at just the right time and was late for nearly  
everything else? It somehow just didn't seem fair.  
  
When Usagi was in her full "running to get to someplace if not  
exactly on time then at least not THAT late" mode, she had a tendency  
to not notice little things in her path. Like streetlights,  
telephone booths, and people.  
  
This time it was a people.  
  
WHAM!  
  
"Urgh."  
  
  
"GomennasaiIdidn'tmeantoknockyoudownIwasinahurrygomengomengomen!"  
  
"Urgh."  
  
"Are you all right? Can you stand? Let me help you up..."  
  
"Urgh. No... I'm okay... it's nothing, really..."  
  
The redheaded girl stood, dusted herself off, and smiled. "I've  
taken worse, anyhow. But you should really watch where you're going,  
you know."  
  
"Taken worse?"  
  
(Ooops. How do I cover for that slip? Well, I probably can't  
hide being a martial artist for long-- but... maybe a variation  
of what I tricked Nabiki with...)  
  
The redhead giggled. "Hai, 'cause I'm a martial artist. I want  
to be as good as my idol someday."  
  
"Idol?" Usagi asked, uncertainly.  
  
"HAI! He's the bestest martial artist I know, and he's also   
really really cute, but he's taken, well, sort of, it's really really  
complicated and stuff, but he's really good and I want to be as good  
as he is and did you know he can jump over a house? I can't, I can  
only jump over a car, but he can."  
  
"Jump over a..." murmured Usagi, weakly. Makoto's words from  
the previous day rang in her mind...  
  
("Well, we know one thing about her. She's some sort of a   
martial artist. Although I don't know any martial arts that let you  
jump up 20 meters and create magical shields," said Makoto.)  
  
"Um...can I buy you something to make up for knocking you down?  
Like some ice-cream, or something? 'Cause I still feel kinda bad   
about that," Usagi temporized.  
  
"Well... I don't--"  
  
"Great! Just a moment, I have to call a friend, but I'll be   
right back!" Usagi stepped to a phone booth, and pretended to use   
the phone. Actually, she was using something rather more   
sophisticated.  
  
"Rei, I'm gonna be late, but it's important-- I met someone  
who knows about the kind of martial arts that Paragon was using.  
Maybe I can find out a clue?"  
  
"You might as well take your time," grumbled the shrine maiden  
over the communicator. "Makoto and Minako are trying to find some  
perfect guy. Those two... only person here's Ami, and she's all   
wrapped up in her computer, scanning the area. So we'd start late  
anyhow."  
  
"Arigato! I'll see what I can find out!" Usagi broke contact  
and then hung up the unused phone.  
  
Ranma was somewhat flustered. There was something about this  
girl that made it hard to say no. Then again, if she was a local,  
perhaps Ranma could learn something about the Sailor Senshi, who were  
supposed to be based in the Juuban area anyhow. This could be to her  
advantage.  
  
Besides, she NEVER turned down free food.  
  
"So, come on! I want to hear about people jumping over   
buildings, I thought only the Sailors could do that kind of thing!  
Oh, my name's Usagi, Usagi Tsukino! What's yours?"  
  
(KAMI-SAMA, but she's enthusiastic!) "Ah... Naoko. Naoko   
Takahashi."  
  
"So, what kind of ice-cream do you like?"  
  
Of stranger things are friendships formed. But not by much.  
  
####  
  
"He sounds impressive, all right," said Usagi in fascination.  
"Naoko" had never had a chance to ask a single question under the   
barrage of happy and friendly inquiries by Usagi. "Can he really  
do all those kinds of things?"  
  
"Oh, hai. He's not the only one, but I think he's the best.  
But the others are pretty good too. But he's my personal idol, and  
I want to be just like him someday. Except not a boy." Naoko had   
carefully managed to avoid subjects such as chi-blasts and the really  
insane things, implying that Ranma jumped over small shacks rather  
than two story houses. She'd also managed to avoid his rather   
complex social life-- that is, not mentioning the multiple fiancees,  
implying only a single one.  
  
"And he's really that cute?"  
  
Playing the role of idolizing girl, Naoko replied, "Hai. But   
he's taken. I'm not silly enough to chase after someone like him   
anyhow. His life is kinda weird, they say. I don't know, I don't  
go to his school, but there are stories." (There, if for some reason  
she ever meets my male form, I can keep the two identities separate.)  
  
"I think if you really like him, you should let him know."  
  
Naoko began to sweatdrop. "Oh, I don't like him like that--  
not really, and anyhow, I'm not interested in boys right now. Most  
of the ones at my school are, um, kinda immature, you know?" (THAT'S  
putting it mildly.)  
  
Usagi nodded. That pretty much described most of the boys at   
Juuban Junior High in her opinion as well. Then again, she had   
Mamo-chan, who was very mature...  
  
"Well, don't give up. There's plenty of boys out there, and one  
has to be right for you."  
  
(Kami-sama, I hope not!) "Uh, sure. Probably just around the  
corner."  
  
"That's the spirit, never give up hope!" Usagi was second only  
to Minako in the "Girl's gotta find the right boy" department.  
  
Naoko resumed work on her sundae, eating slowly. No need to   
freak out the girl with Anything Goes eating techniques. "Hadn't  
planned to, you know? I'm just not exactly looking right now."  
  
"Anyhow, it sounds really cool except for the part about all   
those fights. He seems to be rather violent."  
  
"Well... he is a fighter, but he usually doesn't start them,  
I think... it's more he's really good, so other martial artists  
come around to challenge him." (Or kill him, or marry him, or try to  
brainwash him, or... this is harder than I thought.) "You mentioned  
something about Sailors? Are they real?"  
  
Usagi paused. (Oh, great. How do I answer this?) "Well,   
everyone says they are, but no-one knows much about them... they're  
very mysterious. And they only show up if there's trouble."  
  
"Oh. I wish I could see them, they sound really interesting."  
(And I could stand to learn more about the people I fought with.)  
  
"I suppose. Like I said, no-one really knows much about them."  
  
"Oh. That's disappointing." (Well, THIS conversation  
is going nowhere fast.)  
  
For a moment, there was a lull in the chat.  
  
It didn't last very long.  
  
####  
  
She appeared in an alley, adjusted her cloak, and looked about,  
uncertainly. THIS primitive place was where the Master expected  
to find the StarGem?  
  
Well, what the Master said went, as far as Ferriko was   
concerned. If she could do well on this mission, she'd show her smug  
cousins who was the real asset to the Dark. (Stupid Argentiko  
and Auriko. Think they're so smart.)  
  
She nodded to the Ur-demon she'd bought for the trial mission.  
"Optika, what I want you to do is seek one with the focus to hold the  
StarGem. We know that only a soul with a great focus in their lives  
can be the host. I've assigned a pack of Ur-golems to you. And for  
pity's sake, put on a human illusion-- you stick out like a sore   
thumb looking like that!"  
  
"Yes." There was a sort of wavering for a moment, and a young  
woman stood next to Ferriko, carrying a pair of binoculars.  
"I will start seeking now. I'm very good at seeking, you know."  
  
"Yes, I know. I've been informed of that repeatedly. Now, the  
Master believes that it's possible that Senshi or this Paragon may   
try to interfere. If they do, stay away from them, and concentrate  
on the Ur-golems so that they will stay stable. I will reinforce  
you."  
  
"Yes. Did you know I'm very good at seeking? And finding  
too? I can both seek and find. I'm an excellent seeker and finder."  
  
Ferriko had never seen "Rain Man", or she would have found a   
frightening parallel here.  
  
"Yes, well, that's why you are here. So go seek and find."  
  
"Now?"  
  
Ferriko growled. "Yes. NOW. Before I get angry."  
  
"Okay. I will seek and find a soul of great focus that may hold  
the StarGem."  
  
(The Master's Demon-wranglers need to work on the intellect  
protocols BADLY...)  
  
####  
  
Naoko decided she liked Usagi. If she had to spend a lot of   
time in Juuban, it was nice to have a friend. Especially one that  
wasn't trying to either kill or marry her.  
  
Yet another new concept-- a just plain old fashioned friend.  
Better yet, she was now going on about her boyfriend-- someone   
called, improbably, Mamo-chan-- which suggested that Usagi wouldn't  
become a new suitor should she meet Ranma. Naoko had NEVER seen   
anyone so heads over heels in love that wasn't chasing her boy-side.  
  
And she doubted that Usagi would be using poisoned roses,   
obscure Chinese herbs, or strange okonomiyaki either. She was, if a   
bit ditzy, probably the closest thing she'd ever met to a normal  
girl in her life.  
  
And Usagi assumed she was a normal girl also.  
  
"Can you really jump over a car?" asked Usagi in yet another  
dizzying change of topic. Naoko had discovered that the blonde was  
really good at that.  
  
"Hai. If I try hard. I'm not as good as my Idol, but   
someday..."  
  
"Every girl should have a dream. All my friends do, and I know  
they'll make theirs come true. And I'm certain mine will."  
  
"Yours being a happy life with your Mamo-chan?"  
  
Usagi nodded. "I'm really really certain of it. It might be a   
while, but... I wish you could meet him. He's so handsome, and   
mature, and clever, and nice, and..."  
  
"Sounds like you're trying to set me up with him instead of   
you," Naoko grinned.  
  
Usagi blinked. "No way! It's just that he's, well... perfect."  
  
"Oh, well, I never met a perfect boy, myself. I guess you're  
lucky."  
  
For a moment Naoko could have sworn she saw literal hearts   
bounding around in the eyes of her new acquaintance. "Oh, I'm the   
luckiest girl in the whole--"  
  
Usagi's paean to the wonders of Mamoru was interrupted  
by the unexpected intervention of a pair of binoculars.  
  
The woman in the jeans and t-shirt was leaning over, staring  
at Usagi from three inches with said optical enhancers. "You have  
great focus. Perhaps you have the Gem."  
  
"W-what? What are you talking about?"  
  
From outside, Ferriko slapped her forehead and groaned. (REALLY  
need to talk to the wranglers.)  
  
Naoko began to feel a strange buzzing somewhere at the back of   
her heart. She didn't know how she knew, but she KNEW that this   
idiot was an enemy. But how to change with this girl right in front  
of her and surrounded by patrons of this cafe?  
  
(I need a distraction. I need something to distract the people  
here... but what?)  
  
"Ur-golems. Remove these others."  
  
Once again, vaguely female-shaped things began to rise from the  
floor, causing the patrons of the Crown to panic and stampede to the  
doors.  
  
The strange girl turned back to the booth. "Good. Now I   
will... where did she go?"  
  
Because her target wasn't there any more.  
  
####  
  
"Ow! Not so HARD!"  
  
"Sorry, Usagi, but I'm not leaving anyone in there with that...  
thing! We gotta get away, and find a policeman or something!"  
  
Usagi rubbed her wrist where Naoko had dragged her out when the  
weird girl had been distracted by her Ur-golems. (She's got to be as  
strong as Mako-chan. Maybe stronger!) "Ah, good idea! I'll look  
this way, and you look that way!"  
  
(Beat me to it, good!) "Hai!"  
  
Both girls went to ostensibly find a policeman. Both instead  
ducked down different alleyways. And both said certain unusual  
things--  
  
"Moon Crystal Power, Make Up!"  
  
"Paragon no Power, Henshin!"  
  
Had anyone BEEN in one of the alleyways, well, they wouldn't  
have believed what they saw.  
  
Two Magical Girls began to head to a single place where it was  
painfully obvious that trouble was rearing it's ugly head-- again.  
  
####  
  
Ferriko was NOT a happy minion.  
  
"What were you THINKING? Walk RIGHT up to a target, stare at   
her from three inches away, summon the pack in the middle of a social  
center-- of course they ran away!"  
  
"I sought, I found. That is what I do."  
  
"Oh, lovely. And then you lost."  
  
"I will find the focused one again."  
  
"Bets?"  
  
Ferriko spun to see a silver and black clad girl leaning against  
the door-frame, with a disturbingly confident smirk.  
  
Paragon stared at Ferriko. Of course, you can't be absolutely  
certain about these things, but women in chainmail leotards with   
flowing black cloaks were, at the least, suspicious in her view.   
"You know, I have this funny feeling that you're an agent of the   
Dark. Care to try to convince me otherwise?"  
  
"So. The so-called Paragon. Well, at least one part of the   
mission objective had been achieved."  
  
"Hmm... interesting. Which part of your mission objective  
is it to get your butt kicked to the moon?"  
  
Ferriko began to fume. The sheer arrogance of this... "Optika.  
Deal with this... person."  
  
What seemed to be an ordinary young woman raised her binoculars  
to her eyes once again... but this time as she lowered her hand, they  
stayed there. To Paragon's disquiet, her clothing changed-- as did  
other parts of her. Where once an ordinary woman stood, now there  
was a gunmetal gray creature with various lenses sticking out of her  
dressed in a pink tutu.  
  
"Oh, please. Is that supposed to scare me, or are you trying  
to win by making me laugh myself to death?"  
  
"OPTIBURST!"  
  
Paragon had never seen a real honest to gosh laser before.  
As she barely dodged the beam from the now affixed binoculars,  
she decided she didn't like them.  
  
(Great. Even I can't dodge lightspeed forever. Let's see if I   
can take her down fast-- aw, CRAP.)  
  
Before Paragon could react any further, the lasers began to hit  
the various Ur-golems. Paragon stared as they began to glow, and   
then found herself in combat as they attacked.  
  
(Damn! They're a lot tougher than the first ones-- faster too!  
She must be powering them somehow! What the hell do I do now?)  
  
Spin kick. Punch. Leap kick. Chop. They were still easy to   
take down-- for a Paragon-- but for every one she took out, another  
two seemed to rise.  
  
(I can't keep this up forever! And with these things in the   
way, I can't get to bino-face or her boss! I need room to fight and  
plan...)  
  
Paragon had never been particularly concerned about property  
damage when her life was on the line...  
  
####  
  
As Sailor Moon arrived at the Crown, she found herself joined  
by Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Venus. Which made her very happy.  
  
"Oh, you don't know how happy I am to see you! There's an enemy  
inside!"  
  
"We know, you called us, remember? Darn, and we were almost  
on the trail of that boy too!" Venus replied.  
  
"I still think we lost him," Jupiter grumped. "I hope Mars and  
Mercury get here soon."  
  
Discussion was derailed by the shattering of the plate glass  
window as the Paragon leapt through in an attempt to get some   
fighting room.  
  
"Hey, it's her again!" Venus exclaimed.  
  
"Wha-- you guys? Get ready, they're tougher this time!"   
Paragon shouted as her hands began to shine.  
  
"Who's tough-- YAHHHHH!"   
  
There were a LOT of Ur-golems.  
  
"SUPREME THUNDER!"  
  
"CRESCENT BEAM!"  
  
There were a few less.  
  
"Damn it, no more nice magical girl! PARA VOLT!"  
  
In contrast to the almost dancelike movements of the senshi  
attacks, Paragon's assault was rather a simple punching motion   
towards the pack of Ur-golems, releasing a arrowhead shaped form of   
light that slashed through a few more, reducing them to dust. But   
there were still too many. It wasn't looking good.  
  
Still inside the cafe', Optika began to carefully target   
Paragon. In a moment, the wild card would be eliminated, and--  
  
Ur-demons aren't exactly brilliant, true. On the other hand,  
they can scream fairly well. And when a rose impales what is passing  
for an eye, screams are to be expected.  
  
(Where the hell did THAT come from-- whoa. Now, THAT'S   
different.)  
  
The Ur-golems stopped attacking, confused without the leadership  
of the Ur-demon Optika. It's very hard to coordinate a horde of   
faceless minions when you're screaming bloody murder with an armor  
piercing rose jammed into your eye, after all.  
  
The tuxedo-clad figure hopped lightly off the lamp-post,  
to land beside Sailor Moon. "Looks like I arrived just in time,   
Sailor Moon."  
  
"You're good at that," added Jupiter. "Now, let's finish that  
thing!"  
  
"Right!" Again the strange spinning dance, again the cry of   
"MOON SPIRAL HEART ATTACK!", and again the execution of what Paragon  
felt was a really funky looking finishing move.  
  
Optika didn't even get a chance to scream "lovely", since she   
was too busy screaming in pain.  
  
Ferriko stared dumbly at the scene before her, as the remaining  
Ur-golems collapsed into dust without an Ur-demon to power them.   
"I... I don't believe it... you can't be this powerful, can't win   
this easy..."  
  
Paragon looked at the chainmail wearing woman, and her face   
darkened. "You."  
  
"Me?"  
  
"You ruined a lot of peoples quiet time today. You sent that  
thing to attack a helpless little girl. Those are crimes that cannot  
be forgiven. Judgment has been made-- and you are found wanting."  
  
"And who are you to judge me, human?" Ferriko was becoming  
truly incensed by the redhead's arrogance.  
  
"I am the Paragon. And you are not getting away with this!"  
Before anyone could react, Paragon leapt at Ferriko, her battle aura  
already gleaming a brilliant blue--  
  
And passed right through Ferriko.  
  
"What the-- Ooof!" exclaimed Paragon as she passed through  
the illusion and slammed into the counter inside the cafe'.   
  
"Oh, so sorry. But direct confrontation isn't in my plans yet.  
I'll pass your boasts on to the Master, though... and next time, I'll  
pass your head to him also. Till then..."  
  
The image wavered and faded. Paragon rose, and snarled. "You  
got that right... until then. Ain't my head, though..."  
  
Dusting herself off, she left the building, only to be   
surrounded by three Sailor Senshi and their evening-dressed  
friend. "Just a moment," Jupiter said. "We've got some questions  
for you."  
  
"I'm not in the mood for a quiz, sister."  
  
"Please," Sailor Moon asked. "We could be of a lot of help to   
each other. But we have to know who you are!"  
  
"Willing to put that on an even base? You tell me, I tell you."  
Paragon crossed her arms and smirked.   
  
"Why should we tell you anything?" demanded Jupiter. "You're  
the one butting into our fights, you know."  
  
"Oh? And how do you know you aren't butting into mine?   
Besides, unless you have a legal document assigning you alone to   
monster fighting, that one won't wash anyhow."  
  
Before Sailor Jupiter could protest this, Sailor Moon laid a   
hand on her arm. "She's got a point. Why should she trust us if we  
don't trust her? And they might be more her enemy than ours. We   
don't know, do we?"  
  
Paragon smiled at Sailor Moon. "You I like. You got sense.  
Anyhow, sorry, but I can't tell you anything, except that there's  
probably going to be more of those guys, and no, I'm not certain  
what they're after myself. Now, I gotta go. Be seeing you."   
  
Before any of the Sailors could react, Paragon leapt straight  
up nearly thirty meters, and vanished over the rooftops.  
  
####  
  
"That powerful."  
  
"Yes, Master. I'm sorry I failed you."  
  
"I did not expect success this early in the game, Ferriko.  
It's apparent to me that our main problems will be Sailor Moon and   
the Paragon. You must work to draw them out, and if possible,  
trap one of them alone for elimination. A pity, really. Both are   
such pretty little things, almost too pretty to die. Almost."  
  
"As you will, Master.  
  
####  
  
Sailor Moon stared at the space where Paragon had been a moment  
before. Then she turned towards Tuxedo Kamen, and... scowled.  
  
"Tuxedo Kamen-sama," she said in deceptively sugary tones,   
"What's wrong with your nose?"  
  
"Ah, nothing, nothing at all," Tuxedo Kamen replied, wiping  
a trickle of blood away. (DAMN, that girl wears almost... damn.)  
  
"We'll discuss that later, and-- oh, NO. Naoko! I almost   
forgot about Naoko!"  
  
"Who?" Venus asked.  
  
"The girl I met, the one who knows about strange martial arts!  
I hope she's all right!"  
  
"Well, let's change and we'll help you look for her," Jupiter  
suggested. "Besides, the police will be here any moment. We should  
be scarce by then."  
  
And soon the street was deserted.  
  
####  
  
They found her later, in an alleyway, hiding. "Usagi, you're  
all right! I tried to find a phone, but I got in this alley, and   
then there were horrible sounds, and I was scared to come out,   
and..."  
  
"It's all right, Naoko... the Senshi came by and it was a   
monster but they beat it. Are you okay?"  
  
"Yes... I... I think I should go home, though, Mama's going to   
worry about me. Maybe we'll see each other again someday."  
  
"Maybe." Somehow Usagi felt that that was a given.  
  
####  
  
"Mamo-chan... "  
  
"Usako, I love you. I'll never betray you. I'd give my life  
for you-- hell, I have at least twice that I know of. And I live   
only because of our love.  
  
"But right now I'm alive-- and personally, I don't think there's  
a man alive who wouldn't be distracted by a girl with that figure  
and that style of clothing. Please forgive me, I'm only human..."  
  
Usagi nodded. "I... suppose you can't be blamed. I wish I had  
that kind of figure-- although I'd never wear anything like that.  
Not even at the beach. Never-- well, maybe with one exception."  
  
Mamoru paused, and then asked, uncertainly, "Ah... where?"  
  
"More a when-- and on our wedding night."  
  
Mamoru blushed. VERY hard.  
  
####  
  
"Anyhow, unless I take out the boss thing out right off, those  
little geeks are gonna be trouble. And I think Sailor Moon trusts  
me, but I don't know about the others." Ranma sighed, idly   
scratching the rabbit behind the ear.   
  
"And I missed the whole thing. Darn."  
  
"Well, that's the least of my new problems. Nabiki's getting  
suspicious, I think Akane's beginning to worry about me, and that   
jerk girl in the metal suit isn't going to be a pushover-- and she   
has a boss. Does this job come with a guarantee of victory?"  
  
Star paused... and said, unhappily, "Kami-sama, I wish it   
DID..."  
  
####  
  
To Be Continued.  
  



	4. Episode Three: A new ally? Return of a...

If there was a person in Japan who was as big a weirdness  
magnet as Ranma Saotome, that person was Naru Osaka. Unlike Ranma,  
however, who attracted paranormally powerful martial artists, bizarre  
curses, wandering amazons, confused ghosts, dim witted demons, and   
the occasional small shriveled up pervert, all Naru ever seemed to   
attract was monsters.  
  
She was very very good at that, though.  
  
Whenever a new enemy would appear to bedevil the Sailor Senshi,  
it was pretty much a sure thing that eventually said enemy would get  
around to Naru-chan sooner or later. For some reason, evil beings  
from dark dimensions seemed attracted to her in much the same way   
that one certain small shriveled up pervert was attracted to panties.  
Only worse.  
  
If it weren't for the mysterious Sailor Moon, who had saved her  
on more than one occasion, she'd probably be dead a dozen times over  
now. Well, her or her boyfriend, Gurio Umino. He'd been attacked  
once or twice himself.  
  
Most people didn't understand what Naru saw in Umino. They   
looked at the surface and saw a geek.  
  
Well, fair enough. He WAS something of a geek. But he was a   
geek who was loyal, affectionate, brave, unfaltering, and-- the last  
two factors being Naru's personal secret-- had the most gorgeous  
eyes under those coke-bottle glasses and was a fantastic kisser.  
  
Naru allowed herself a small smile at that thought. She   
wondered what Usagi would think about Umino-kun if she knew THAT   
part. But although they were the best of friends, there were some  
things she was NOT planning to share with Usagi. Like eyes and lips.  
  
Idly she wondered what Usagi was doing right now.  
  
Idle wondering was interrupted by something that seemed...  
odd. Even for Juuban.  
  
"Come back here, you baka monster!"  
  
Naru had seen monsters before. None quite as odd looking as   
this one, though.  
  
It seemed to be female-- they nearly always were, for some   
reason-- and made entirely out of Lego blocks. It was also, contrary  
to what monsters usually did, running for its semi-life.  
  
And it was being chased by...   
  
Well, whoever that was, in the skintight silver and black gear,  
she wasn't a Sailor. For one thing, Sailors wore, well, more modest  
attire. And considering the typical Sailor gear, that was saying  
a LOT about the outfit THIS person was wearing.  
  
Also, Sailors didn't usually chase monsters while carrying  
telephone poles. Heck, she didn't think they COULD carry something  
that heavy, or unwieldy. They were strong, yes, but...  
  
But as far as Naru Osaka was concerned, the strangest thing was  
that the monster wasn't after her.  
  
So she just watched as Legolette was being chased by the person  
who was becoming known to Juuban as the Paragon.  
  
Nice to be on the outside for once, she mused, as she took   
cover...  
  
####  
  
Robert Haynie Presents  
  
A Sailor Moon / Ranma 1/2 Crossover Fanfiction  
  
PARAGON  
  
(Standard disclaimers apply. Duh.)  
  
Episode Three: A new ally? Unexpected return of an old friend!  
  
####  
  
It was supposed to be simple. There had been nobody anywhere  
around. Just the target, a person of great focus. Send the   
Ur-demon, seek the soul, find out if the StarGem was there, kill the  
target if it wasn't-- didn't do to leave lose ends, after all-- and  
go to the next.  
  
Of COURSE that Paragon bitch had popped in out of nowhere,  
spouting something about judgment and being wanting and all that.  
As bad as a Senshi, she was.  
  
Well, Legolette had been crafted for just such a thing. She   
could reform herself into almost any weapon she could envision.  
So, it should have been simple.  
  
Ferriko groaned. SHOULD have been. But no, the Paragon was so  
damn fast that Legolette couldn't get a chance to form a weapon,  
except once. And then she hit, not a Paragon, but a telephone  
pole. The telephone pole had almost hit some girl with really   
strange hair, and Paragon went berserk. Who KNEW that such a tiny  
girl as the Paragon could pick up and wield a damn telephone pole?  
  
Who knew she WOULD?  
  
The Master was NOT going to be happy. Things were going not at  
all as planned...  
  
####  
  
Sailor Moon wasn't exactly happy herself. Baka monster almost  
dropped a telephone pole on her. If it hadn't been for the   
unexpected arrival of the Paragon, she'd probably have been crushed.  
But there she was-- fast as lightning-- just in time to knock her out  
of the way.  
  
Lucky Usagi. Unlucky monster, because Sailor Moon was angry  
at nearly being squashed. Now she had to somehow catch up to   
Paragon. But how to find her?  
  
(Hmm... sounds like a fight around--)   
  
"MONSTER NO BAKA!"  
  
WHAM!  
  
(I guess that's her, and-- WHOA.)  
  
"My GOD. She's a monster herself! NO-ONE can be THAT strong!"  
exclaimed a girl in a stylized green and pink seifuku.  
  
The Sailor Senshi had arrived on the scene. And Jupiter was   
freaking.  
  
Of course, a short girl in a skimpy costume waving a telephone  
pole around and trying to beat the hell out of a female form made out  
of toy blocks is something that would freak anyone. Sailor Moon was  
willing to bet that even the normally unflappable Sailor Pluto would  
have reacted in the same way.  
  
"Um... should we help her?" asked Venus.  
  
"YOU wanna get close while she's waving that thing around?"  
Mars retorted.   
  
"Point taken," replied Venus. "But we can't just stand here...  
That's funny. Doesn't Paragon usually use magical blasts or weird  
martial arts?"  
  
"I think she's just really really mad," Chibi-Moon said. "Wow,  
look at her! Sugoi!"  
  
Mercury shook her head. There was something magical about the  
Paragon, no doubt, but there was an insane amount of non-magical  
energy about her also. Her visor was getting scrambled readings  
every time she tried to scan the red-headed magical girl.  
  
Meanwhile, said Paragon DID have a reason for using a telephone  
pole instead of her usual martial arts and Para Volts. She was   
testing herself to find out just how strong she was.  
  
As best as she could figure, right now she probably was as   
strong as Akane had been under the Super-Soba and twice as good a   
fighter as the Do-Gi incident. Not too shabby. And no unsightly  
whiskers either. Heh.  
  
Sometimes she wondered if the incredible physical boost she got  
as the Paragon was cheating, in some way. But then, she wasn't using  
it against other human opponents in honorable martial arts combat,  
but against, well, really silly looking demonic creatures trying  
to suck the lives out of people. In a case like that, anything  
goes. She allowed herself an internal snicker at that thought.  
  
No, she's never use the Power of the Paragon against a human  
being. Well, except maybe Happosai. Heck, for all she knew he was  
an evil extradimensional entity himself-- it would explain a lot.  
  
Hmm... and Pantyhose Tarou... Have to ask Star about that...   
  
Well, enough indulging her muscles. Now to finish it.  
  
Tossing the telephone pole up in the air, Paragon let out a Para  
Volt, followed it up with a leaping kick, and finally suplexed  
the Ur-demon. Which shattered.  
  
"Huh. Didn't have a lot, did it? Hey, Chainmail-chan,  
where you hiding? Aren't you going to start some rant about how   
you'll win next time?"  
  
"Why should I," a voice from apparently nowhere said, "When this  
time will do just nicely?"  
  
For a moment Paragon was annoyed-- after all, it was clear that  
the victory here was hers-- and then heard an unpleasant rattling  
sound. She turned around, and groaned. Legolette was reassembling  
herself.  
  
"This we've seen before," murmured Sailor Mercury. "Looks like  
she's playing Nekoneru's game there..." She raised her voice,   
calling, "Paragon! That thing won't stay broken-- we've fought   
something like that before!"  
  
"Oh, goody! You can have it, then!" replied the now dodging  
Paragon. "Damn thing's somehow doubled in speed! At least there   
aren't any--"  
  
There was a sound of many whiny-grunty voices coming down the   
street.  
  
"Ur-golems," Paragon finished miserably. "I'd ask if you ever  
had one of those days, but I just know you have... YOW!" She dodged  
a sudden knife-like arm. (How did she get a sharp edge from Legos?)  
  
Mars and Venus began on the Ur-golems, while Jupiter glared  
at the monster. She had heard a rumor that that perfect boy was in   
the area again, and was NOT happy with monsters distracting  
her from her hunt. As far as she was concerned, monsters were made  
for taking out frustrations.  
  
"Get back, Paragon!" yelled Jupiter, following up with the cry  
of "SPARKLING WIDE PRESSURE!" The ovoid of electrical energy smashed  
through the air, causing Legolette to grunt, but not to break- and   
Mercury noticed something.  
  
"Some of it's blocks fused! It really IS made of Legos-- and   
that means plastic! Mars?"  
  
"Got it! BURNING MANDALA!"  
  
Hoops of elemental fire spun out at the Ur-demon, which screamed  
as her body began to melt and fuse. Paragon grinned at that. "Hey,  
that's pretty good! You guys want to see something with hot and   
cold?"  
  
"I'll show you something instead," Mercury replied, adding,  
"SHINE AQUA ILLUSION!" The already half-molten Ur-demon suddenly  
froze, unable to move at all, it's structure now brittle from the   
extremes in temperature.  
  
Paragon blinked. She'd thought the Soul of Ice technique  
was something, but this? "Okay, I'M impressed. Now--"  
  
Paragon had worked carefully on this one. It had occurred  
to her that her normal Ranma-mode attacks could be used if she just  
called them something different and varied the delivery a tiny bit.  
(Actually, it had occurred to Star. But magical mascots are supposed  
to take a back seat.)  
  
"PARA IMPACT STORM!"  
  
Mercury, who had been monitoring Paragon as well as the   
creature, gasped. Paragon had punched it one thousand, six hundred  
and thirteen times in less than five seconds, each time with a force  
capable of shattering prestressed concrete. There was a stuttering,  
thundering crack as her fists shattered the sound barrier repeatedly.  
  
Paragon blinked. She knew she was stronger and faster in this  
form, but... Oh, MAN, Cologne would freak out...  
  
"I think I've gone deaf," complained Venus.  
  
"What? I can't hear you, I've gone deaf," replied Mars.  
  
"Speak up, Mars, I can't hear you," Moon added.  
  
"It's all right, it's just temporary, I don't think she meant  
to do that," said Mercury, who could read lips a little.  
  
"What?" said Mars.  
  
While the Senshi tried to sort this problem out, Paragon left,  
her job, as it were, done. She realized that she needed to talk to   
Star about this side effect.  
  
Well, as soon as she could hear the rabbit, anyhow...  
  
####  
  
"THAT'S a side effect I hadn't expected," Star murmured.  
  
"Speak up, I still can't hear you very well," complained  
Ranma. "But MAN, it worked great! 'Course, I gotta admit that   
Mercury's ice thingy helped also, and that Mars has got some pretty  
good moves with that fire stuff. Shame they don't trust me yet...  
except Sailor Moon. Wish I could find something to tell them..."  
  
"Well, you can't. You know that. Mercenary Alert," the rabbit  
added, in a whisper. Ranma didn't hear the last, but had noticed  
Nabiki anyhow.  
  
Nabiki stormed up to Ranma, repressing the desire to frown,  
it would be bad for her image after all, and assuming her patented  
sardonic smirk instead. "And where have you been all day?" she   
demanded.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I'm asking the questions, Saotome," she grinned, confidently.   
  
"Your point being?"  
  
"Look, you're hiding something-- and we both know that I'll find  
out eventually what it is. So you might as well stop this game and  
tell me straight out."  
  
"And if I am, and do, then you'll sell whatever it is to the   
highest bidder. Well, I ain't in the mood for that any more."  
  
"Is that any way to talk to a friend?" Nabiki said, grinning.   
  
"No. But what does that have to do with you? No WAY are you my  
friend."  
  
Nabiki's grin faded.   
  
"What do you mean by that? Of course I'm your--"  
  
"Then why do you pull all that crap on me?"  
  
"I treat everyone the same, you know that, Ranma."  
  
"I do. That's why I don't think you're anyone's friend. I   
don't have time for this, I'm outta here."  
  
Before Nabiki could protest, Ranma skipped to a nearby rooftop  
and started his dash back to the Tendo residence. She stood there,  
in shock. She didn't know what had made this new Ranma, but she knew  
damn well that she didn't like it one bit.  
  
Because Ranma was supposed to forgive and forget like the sap   
she'd always known him to be. And for some reason, he'd stopped  
being a sap. Instead, he'd grown a spine.  
  
She had always, in her own way, considered herself a friend  
to Ranma, and had assumed that he felt the same. But... now she   
wasn't so sure.   
  
For the first time she considered the possibility that Ranma  
might actively dislike her.  
  
And she liked that even less.  
  
####  
  
Ami Mizuno was usually a calm and peaceful sort. Of the Senshi,  
she was the most mild mannered, the calmest, and the least likely  
to become unduly frustrated.  
  
Thus, it was a very bemused group of girls and cats that were  
watching the blue-haired girl bang her head on the table.  
  
"Ami-chan," Minako said uncertainly, "Aren't you...   
over-reacting?"  
  
"They make no SENSE! They make no SENSE!" Ami whimpered.  
  
"What's she on about?" murmured Makoto to Rei.  
  
"The readings on Paragon," Rei replied sotto voce. "She's been  
getting new ones every time we meet her and she can't make them make  
any sense. It's like there's two entirely differing forces powering  
her, and she says they shouldn't be able to work together. And no,  
I don't understand what that means either."  
  
"Ami-chan," soothed Usagi, "She's just a different kind of   
warrior. She's not one of us, so maybe she isn't like us in how she  
does things."  
  
"Usagi, she threw over fifteen hundred punches in five seconds--  
each able to crack concrete! I don't care HOW much magic she has   
augmenting her, there's no WAY that muscle and bone can stand the   
kind of stress that would create-- not to mention that her hands   
should have been bloody pulps! She can't be human, nothing human  
can do that! I don't think there was ever a daimon that could do   
that! She can't be human!"  
  
"Maybe she's a strange visitor from another planet, like in the  
American Manga I got?" Chibi-Usa put in.  
  
"No! That's the problem-- she's human!"  
  
"But you just said--" Minako asked, a confused expression  
settling into her face. Joined by similar ones on the rest of the   
girls.  
  
"I KNOW! But all scans say she's human, but she CAN'T be human  
and do what she does, but she IS, and... I have never felt so...   
so..."  
  
"Depressed?" asked Makoto.  
  
"Frustrated?" suggested Rei.  
  
"Stupid..." despaired Ami.  
  
"Ami-chan, just because you can't figure it out doesn't mean   
you're stupid about it-- it just means there's something you don't  
know yet," Usagi said, with a trace of sharpness. She didn't care  
to see Ami belittling herself.  
  
"Thank you, Usagi-chan... but... I just can't figure out what  
she is..." Ami HATED being this much in the dark about the   
mysterious warrior.  
  
"I don't see what it matters," Minako said. "She's on our side,  
right?"  
  
"We don't know that for sure," Luna interjected.  
  
"She seems to be so, though," added Artemis.  
  
"We can't be sure about her at all," Rei said. "She's not a   
Senshi, so we can't be sure."  
  
"Her enemies are our enemies, right? As far as I'm concerned,  
it's six of one and two in the bush," Minako retorted.  
  
There was a pause.  
  
"That's six of-- oh, never mind," Artemis sighed.  
  
"I trust her," Usagi said. No emphasis, no challenge, just a   
calm, serene confidence. "She is on our side-- or we're on hers.  
Remember what she said-- this might be her fight? We might be the   
outsiders in this conflict?"  
  
Makoto cracked her knuckles. "Hey, it's all the same to ME. If  
she's a good guy and they are bad guys, then we help the good guy.  
I want to see if I can learn some of her moves."  
  
Rei scowled, but said nothing. To her annoyance, that argument  
made perfect sense.  
  
"Besides, she dresses neat," added Chibi-Usa.  
  
"Now you do NOT go there, ninjin-atama," Usagi said. "I won't  
have it now, and I KNOW I won't have it in a thousand years. You are  
NOT dressing like her!"  
  
"Spoilsport."  
  
####  
  
Akane was becoming very worried about Ranma. He'd started  
to change after the battle with Saffron. He'd had to do something  
there that he had never had to do before.  
  
He'd had to kill.  
  
Never mind that Saffron had been reborn, like the Phoenix he   
was-- Ranma had killed him. Had, in fact, frozen him solid and   
broken him into bits. Had used the Art not only to kill, but to kill  
in an incredibly gruesome fashion.  
  
Never mind that he had no other recourse in the battle-- it was  
kill or be killed, kill or let Akane die, kill or allow a madman  
with incredible power to do who knew what-- Ranma had killed him.  
  
Something in Ranma had died that day, she knew. Somehow the   
purity of the Art had been sullied in his eyes. Somehow, a certain  
innocence that had always been a part of Ranma throughout two years  
of unrelenting insanity had been erased.  
  
Then came the wedding.  
  
She didn't know if Ranma had wanted to get married-- she knew  
SHE had, but... She BELIEVED he did, she believed it would have   
worked out, she believed it would have all been right...  
  
But apparently the rest of Nerima hadn't agreed.  
  
She'd always assumed blithely-- well, perhaps not blithely,  
but confidently-- that all Ranma had to do was to make a choice,  
or have someone make it for him in this case, and all the other   
suitors and lunatics would vanish away.   
  
But Shampoo and Ukyo throwing exploding food, Kodachi popping  
up to steal the wedding ceremony, Kuno trying to marry BOTH of them,  
Happosai drinking the Nannichuan while Mousse, Genma, and Ryoga--  
the last for reasons she couldn't figure out-- fought over it...   
That pretty well proved that Ranma had been right in one thing--  
there was no simple solution.  
  
Things had begun to get strained over the next few weeks. Ranma  
had become sullen and depressed. He'd become almost impossible  
to talk to, simply because he wouldn't answer. He wouldn't talk to   
Ukyo, or Shampoo, or even Akane herself.  
  
He had been becoming lost.  
  
Then one day, two days before school was to start again,   
something had happened. Akane suspected that Ranma wasn't telling  
everything, but he'd come home that night with a pet rabbit and no   
curse.   
  
No Curse. It was hard to imagine Ranma without a curse.  
  
And then, Ranma had cheered up-- but he'd also changed. He   
didn't seem to be worried about the various fiancees, or the stable  
of enemies, or anything of the sort.  
  
It was as though he had more important things to worry about.   
  
He'd disappear for hours on end, and return without saying where  
to. If asked, he'd only shrug-- and not reply. This was driving  
Nabiki insane, Akane mused. It wasn't doing much for her peace of   
mind either.  
  
The one time Akane had asked, his reply was, "Akane, I'm sorry,  
but it's private. And no, it's not another fiancee or another girl  
or anything like that, so you can forget that part of the argument  
right now. Heck, forget the argument."  
  
Akane had been stunned. But she hadn't asked again-- because  
she could see that the young martial artist was completely resolute.  
Whatever he was involved in, he was NOT talking.  
  
All she knew for certain was that this new Ranma-- this Ranma  
who was studying in school, who was apparently unconcerned with the  
multiple girls, who would quietly talk about things in a calm and non  
insulting way (and who would simply cease talking if she insulted  
him, breaking off the conversation right there, refusing to argue)  
and who most of all had decided that in contrast to the past two   
years he had a right to a private life of his own-- This Ranma scared  
her a little.  
  
Because this Ranma wasn't playing by the rules that the world  
had set for him.  
  
####  
  
"I'm sorry, Mr. Kuno, but we do not rent time on the SETI array  
to private citizens."  
  
"Hmmmph. Peasant."  
  
####  
  
"Getting along better with Akane?"  
  
Ranma sighed. "Don't know, Star... it's easier to be not   
insultin' like you said to be, but... I can't help but feel like I'm  
changing inside, y'know? Like I'm turning into a different person."  
  
"Hmm... let's take a look at the last two months of your life.  
Jusendo. The wedding. Becoming the Paragon. No longer having to   
worry about water. The fact that you actually passed an English  
test with more than a minimum grade. Those are experiences  
that can change anyone."  
  
"Please... don't remind me about Jusendo." Ranma shuddered.  
"That was the worst day of my life."  
  
"Oh? I would have thought the Nyannichuan would have been in   
that spot."  
  
"Who cares about that? I almost lost--" Ranma broke off. "I   
mean..."  
  
"I know what you mean. So do you. Even though you would rather  
have your teeth pulled with rusty steel chopsticks than admit it. Of  
course, considering your upbringing, that's not so surprising.  
I can't see Genma teaching you anything about interpersonal  
relationships."  
  
"Whatever... anyhow, I don't mean that when I say I feel like  
I'm changing. I feel... I don't know what. Just today, well, you   
heard me with Nabiki. I don't believe I SAID that! I mean, I've   
thought that for a while-- deep inside-- but I never thought I'd SAY  
it! Man, what if I hurt her feelings?"  
  
"Would she care if she hurt yours?"  
  
"Not a bit, but that ain't the point. I don't like to hurt a   
girl's feelings... I don't like to hurt people, really."  
  
"THIS from the man who regularly beats the crap out of a certain  
half-pig?"  
  
"Bunny no baka. Fights are different. That's just the body,  
not the soul. It's flesh and blood, which heals easily-- not spirit,  
which heals more slowly. And he starts them anyhow."  
  
"Hmm... awful poetic for you, Ranma."  
  
Ranma blinked. "Aw, MAN, it's happening again. I'm saying  
things that are all fancy and stuff! Next I'll start waving a bokken  
and chasing those girls instead of ducking them!"  
  
Star chuckled, a rather unnerving sound coming from a rabbit.  
"No, it's more that you're growing up at last. I don't think you've  
ever really been allowed to grow up for real, you know... but the   
Paragon effect is having more effect on your 'normal' self than I'd  
suspected it would."  
  
"You mean this thing is turning me into someone else?" Ranma  
stared in sudden apprehension at the amulet.  
  
"No... I mean it's allowing you to finally BE you-- the you you  
have the potential to be, the you that your father's training in   
nothing but martial arts and your mother's rather... extreme   
expectations and the pressure from practically everyone you know   
hasn't let you be. You're becoming Ranma."  
  
"What if I don't like this... Ranma?"  
  
"I don't think that will be a problem. Hmm... I smell You Know  
Who coming this way... want to have some fun? I think it's your   
turn."  
  
"Which You Know Who?"  
  
"The fat one."  
  
Ranma cracked his knuckles. "OOOH, yeah."  
  
####  
  
"WHAAHAHAHAIIIE!"  
  
SPLASH!  
  
"GROWF!"  
  
"Honestly, old man. You're getting lax in your training."  
  
Genma-panda rose from the koi pond and fumed. How the HELL had  
the boy gotten that fast?  
  
####  
  
In Juuban, two girls were laying very careful plans to catch  
the Boy.  
  
Minako and Makoto had seen him from time to time in the streets  
of Azabu Juuban. Tallish but not too tall, well built, with dark   
hair in a pigtail and the most incredible blue eyes either of them  
had EVER seen. He affected Chinese garments, which only added to his  
mysterious allure. Exotic, see?  
  
It wasn't exactly that he was handsome-- although that was   
certainly part of it-- it was rather that he radiated a casual   
masculinity that was just plain the most enticing thing they had ever  
experienced.  
  
While Minako dreamed about his cute pigtail and those incredible  
eyes, Makoto was more fascinated by the amazing grace that his every  
move had and his wonderful physique. And neither of them could get  
close to him.  
  
Every time they'd seen him, he'd go into a tea shop or an   
alleyway or something and never come out. It was as though he was   
able to vanish off the face of the earth. Normally that sort of   
thing would have started to trigger suspicions-- and they had a lot  
to be suspicious about-- but when a girl is under the effects of a   
full blown crush, deductive reasoning goes out the window.  
  
To date, they had had no success whatsoever. They didn't even  
know the Boy's name. They just knew that they wanted him.  
  
This wasn't actually unusual for either. Minako had run through  
many a crush in her time after Alan, and Makoto had a way of falling  
in love on a regular basis. But somehow this was different.  
The Boy was, they knew, by far a cut above the rest.   
  
The Boy was also not cooperating.   
  
The usual methods-- bump into him, or ask his name with a   
careful expression of shyness, or the like, were not exactly working.  
After all, it's hard to be properly flirtatious with someone who has  
a nasty habit of going poof-i'm-gone on you. So, other, more drastic  
methods had to be taken.  
  
Well, in Minako's opinion, anyhow.  
  
"Mina-chan, that's silly."  
  
"No, really. See this book about this Chinese tribe in the   
Byankala range? They use all sorts of methods to meet boys. We can  
set up a snare here, and--"  
  
"I'm NOT going to start setting traps to catch him! That's  
silly! Besides, I think all that stuff is made up, anyhow. Chinese  
Amazons in a valley next to a magical martial arts training ground  
and all... it's ridiculous!"  
  
"Well... it was just a thought."  
  
"And this stuff about marriage by combat is nuts! By that logic  
we'd have been married to all four Generals, Wiseman, Diamond,  
Sapphire, AND Professor Tomoe if that applied to us! What are you   
thinking?"  
  
"I'm thinking that I want to meet the cutest boy that ever   
walked the face of the earth, is what I'm thinking, Mako-chan."  
  
"So do I. But I'm not going to be THIS silly to do it. Where  
did you get that book, anyhow?"  
  
"From that new doctor that started practice last month. Tofu  
Ono. He's pretty cute himself, for an older man..."  
  
"The one with the skeleton? That does all those meditation  
exercises?"  
  
"Hai. I think it has something to do with a girl."  
  
"Girl?"  
  
"Well, I heard him mention a name a few times. Betty."  
  
"Pretty name..."  
  
####  
  
"Damn, I was right! I THOUGHT I recognized that shingle!  
Been a year since I last saw you, Doc-- where'dya go anyhow?"  
  
Doctor Tofu Ono looked up, startled, and then grinned. "Ranma!  
What brings YOU to Juuban?"  
  
"Aw, um, personal business. Nothing important, really. But   
you?"  
  
Tofu frowned slightly. "I... had to leave. You may not be  
aware of this, Ranma, but whenever I saw Kasumi, I would become a   
little erratic..."  
  
Ranma stared at Tofu. "I kinda noticed."  
  
Tofu gave a wry, almost bitter chuckle. "Oh, who am I fooling.  
It was far beyond erratic. Every time I saw... her, I'd lose   
control. I was becoming a danger to my patients. I've been on a   
training journey, to learn how to control myself. So I can speak  
to K-K-Kasumi without... you know."  
  
"I see... so, why not set back up in Nerima?"  
  
"Too many memories, and I want to take it very slowly in getting  
to know her... if I moved back then I'd see her far too often. And  
I might... slip. I want to take this carefully... Ah, Ranma, she   
isn't... isn't seeing anyone, is she?"  
  
Ranma shook his head. "Nope. Never even tried. Far as I know,  
you don't have any competition..."  
  
"I... I need to be very careful... remember the training and   
meditations I have learned..."  
  
"Hey, if there's any way I can help, be glad to. Not that I'm  
an expert on relationships, or anything..."  
  
"Yes, I'd heard about the wedding attempt. I've been keeping  
tabs on you, Ranma. You were always the most interesting medical  
case I knew of. I even heard you were cured of your   
aquatransexuality."  
  
"Yeah, cured. Big load off my mind, I can tell you." (Or it   
would be if I wasn't a magical girl who's stronger than an elephant.)  
  
"You wouldn't mind if I tested that for myself? For purely  
purposes of record, I mean."  
  
Ranma grinned. "Hey, no prob. Let me take my shirt off first,  
though-- for once I don't wanna be running around in wet clothes."  
  
As Ranma began to remove his garment, Tofu turned to fill a   
beaker with cold water. He turned back, froze, and dropped the   
beaker, which shattered on the floor.  
  
"Doc? Doc, what's wrong?" Ranma was, understandably,  
perplexed.  
  
And in a voice filled with shock and amazement, Tofu stammered,  
"Wh-where did YOU get the Paragon Amulet?"  
  
(HOO-BOY,) thought Ranma.  
  
####  
  
In a place that wasn't a place, an elderly man and a young boy  
peered into a pool of water and smiled.  
  
"Perfect."  
  
"Of course. About the only one of his friends that did not have  
an ulterior motive regarding him. A man who can be trusted with the  
secret, and who can help him cover. As well as a skilled physician  
should our Paragon be injured. And he IS a member of the Brotherhood  
of the Paragon, sworn to aid her should she arise again."  
  
"Do you EVER make a mistake?"  
  
The boy shrugged. "Well, once I THOUGHT I had..."  
  
The old man waited.  
  
"But... I was wrong."  
  
The old man groaned.  
  
####  
  
There were some things that Ranma was not prepared for.  
  
An apparently insane Doc Tofu shaking him by the shoulders  
and screaming "WHERE DID YOU GET THAT AMULET?!?" was one of them.  
  
"G-GEEZE, DOC! The kid GAVE it to me!"  
  
Tofu released the somewhat baffled Ranma and sat, shaking.  
"But... if you were still cursed, I could possibly see it...   
possibly... but if you're not cursed anymore, why would you have it?  
It makes no sense..."  
  
"You... know what it is?"  
  
"Since I was a young man. And a boy is NOT supposed to have it!  
The Amulet is strictly for females!"  
  
"Wait a minute. How do you know what this is, anyhow?"  
  
Tofu blinked. "I... I can't tell you. It doesn't matter.  
Ranma, you have to give me that amulet right NOW! It's not meant  
for a male!"  
  
"Doc, I CAN'T give it to you, even if I wanted to. And how do   
you know what it is?"  
  
"Hey, Ranma, I've been looking all over for you-- I just   
remembered that you're supposed to have an ally, his name's-- Oh,   
you've met already."  
  
Ranma stared at Star, surprised that the rabbit would break his  
cover and speak in front of another human.  
  
Tofu stared at Star, surprised that a rabbit could talk. Then  
he slowly toppled over.  
  
"This is going to be complicated, isn't it?" sighed the rabbit.  
  
####  
  
After Tofu woke up from his faint, and after a LOT of   
explanation, the doctor was still in denial. "But... if the curse  
is cured..."  
  
"Not cured. Controlled. It's not a curse any more." Ranma  
sighed. "I guess I'll just have to show you."  
  
Tofu had seen many strange and peculiar things in his life, and  
not all of them were due to his residence in Nerima. But when Ranma  
closed his eyes and... Well.  
  
It wasn't like the old get-splashed-and-instant-girl  
transformation of the curse. Rather, there was a wavering distortion  
for a moment, a visible shift, and then Ranma was standing there,  
female, dressed female in a black miniskirt and white blouse, with  
her hair free-flowing instead of the ubiquitous pigtail. "This...  
this is incredible..."  
  
"It is, isn't it? Oh, and Doctor, please call me Naoko when I'm  
like this. None of the old crowd recognizes the girl side any more,  
so I'm keeping it as a secret..."  
  
Tofu blinked. She was even using nearly perfect feminine  
speech patterns. "Ah, well... certainly, Naoko. And... you ARE...  
Her?" You could almost hear the capitalization.  
  
"Oh, yeah. No doubt about THAT. And... well, I have to admit,  
it's a rush."  
  
Star nodded. "Oooh, yeah! She LOVES it! Biggest and best   
fight she's ever known except for Jusendo."  
  
"Don't mention that place, Star-chan," the neo-girl groused.  
  
Tofu stared at the rabbit. "They never mentioned talking   
rabbits when I took the Oath."  
  
"What oath is that?" asked Ranma.  
  
"Well... since I was sixteen, I've been a part of a very small  
circle called the Brotherhood of the Paragon. We knew that someday  
one would arise, to save the world from something terrible. It's   
part of why I studied all that obscure magical stuff, so I could be   
of help. But... I was thinking..."  
  
"Thinking what?" asked Star.  
  
"Well... a political leader, or a great scientist, or even a   
soldier-- a female general. But... a magical girl? You're a real  
magical girl, Ra-- ah, Naoko?"  
  
Naoko shrugged. "It's the best thing I can think to call it.   
Hey, I'm not the only one. You should see the Sailor Senshi. Now,  
THEY have a funky act."  
  
Tofu's jaw sagged. "What-- THEY'RE real? They actually exist?"  
  
"Yup. They actually exist. And gotta admit it-- they are good  
at what they do. Especially Sailor Moon. Now, SHE can really beat  
up on an Ur-Demon-- given a clear shot. I like her." Naoko   
shrugged. "Besides, she's the only one that seems to trust me."  
  
"The others don't?"  
  
"They seem to be a pretty close knit group, you know? And face  
it-- the Paragon is NOT a Sailor Senshi. That outfit alone..."  
  
"Is there something wrong with it?"   
  
"Well... Star, is it okay if I just show him?"  
  
The rabbit shrugged-- a fascinating process to Tofu, who was   
well aware that rabbits did not have the musculature to shrug. "I   
suppose. But Doctor... you had better lock the door. No sense in   
people connecting you and the Paragon, is there?"  
  
"Of course..." After doors had been locked, drapes drawn, and  
such precautions taken, Naoko took out the Amulet, and said...  
  
"PARAGON NO POWER-- HENSHIN!"  
  
Lights. And Tofu almost passed out again.  
  
"In... incredible..."  
  
"Yeah, I know... pretty spectacular, isn't it?"  
  
"Not the light-show, the outfit. You DO realize that that's  
nearly as revealing as anything Masamune Shirow could come up with?"  
Tofu's meditation training was allowing him to restrain a nosebleed.  
Even knowing the complete truth (As far as anyone did) it was   
still... Then a bad thought hit Tofu, and he began to shiver.  
  
"You okay, Doc?" asked Paragon, concerned.  
  
"Please... please change back..."  
  
Paragon shifted to Naoko again. "What's wrong?"  
  
"I... I just had a image of K-Kasumi dressed like that... almost  
lost it... oh, GOD..."  
  
Naoko couldn't help it. Neither could Star. They both   
collapsed in laughter... and after a moment, Tofu joined in.  
  
####  
  
"Then it did work out."  
  
"Yep. And Ranma has a valuable ally in his battle against  
the Dark."  
  
"He-- and she-- will need every ally they can GET."  
  
"I know..."  
  
####  
  
To Be Continued. 


	5. Episode Four: Desparate battle! Ferrik...

Most people didn't understand the truth about Cologne. Which  
suited her just fine.  
  
For quite some time now, she had been well aware that the chances  
that Ranma would actually submit to Amazon law and return to China  
with Shampoo were less than good. One doesn't live to be more than a  
hundred without being something of a judge of human nature and  
hearts, and there was little doubt in her mind that the only thing  
keeping Ranma and Akane from the altar was the fact that they were  
being forced into it.  
  
Besides, law or no law, she no longer really wanted Ranma in the  
tribe. The boy was just too independent-- he'd make a proper amazon  
husband the day that Mousse developed spontaneous 20-20 vision and  
Shampoo took a vow of chastity. The lad also carried chaos around  
him in ways that she still at times could not believe. A year in  
Jokuzetsu would likely mean no more Jokuzetsu, since she had no  
reason to believe that the unending string of challengers, strange  
happenings, paranatural occurrences, and just plain weirdness would  
stop at the Nerima limits. True, this area probably amplified it a  
bit-- the ward was known for a history of odd happenings-- but the  
boy attracted such things wherever he went.   
  
She hadn't taken a really active hand in the matter since the boy  
had used the Neko-ken to defeat her for the Phoenix Pill. It was  
then she realized that he was truly opposed to the idea, which had  
startled her. She had assumed-- as had most Amazons-- that a male  
would fall for Shampoo's allure, sensuality, and culinary skills in a  
heartbeat. She had assumed wrong.  
  
Because Ranma wasn't like most males. He was practically  
unseduceable. He reacted to physical advances not with  
reciprocation, but with unease. He wanted-- if he wanted anything--  
to be left alone, to find his own path. It was fairly clear that  
that path didn't include making many little Amazon babies.   
  
Of course, that combined with the fact that Shampoo's first idea  
was to kill him and her second and following ones were to hang onto  
him like a love starved chunk of moss on a reluctant oak tree didn't  
do a lot to help either.  
  
Sometimes Shampoo would come across some old or arcane piece of  
lore or paranormal seasoning, and try it. It never worked, of  
course-- love doesn't work that way, and fate derailed attempts to  
make it do so-- but Shampoo, who couldn't see anything past the idea  
that "Ranma = Airen" would try again. Cologne neither encouraged or  
discouraged these attempts anymore. She just sat back, watched, and  
enjoyed the chaos.  
  
After all, Nerima was so much more FUN than the sleepy Amazon  
village. What had started as a husband hunt had become what Cologne  
considered a sort of temporary retirement with a never ending floor  
show.  
  
From time to time she would teach Ranma something. Not because  
she hoped to gain him for the tribe. Not because she had any real  
plans for the boy. Rather, because he was such a joy to teach--  
unlike the children of the Amazon tribes she knew who saw the Art as  
just another way to fight, he understood the truth--   
  
The Art was... The Art.  
  
Shampoo knew how to fight-- very well indeed-- but she didn't  
really understand the Art. Kuonji was skilled with her-- admittedly  
peculiar-- weapon of choice, but she didn't really understand the  
Art. Akane, the one she knew Ranma would eventually choose, Amazon  
Law be damned, had potential that she was letting go to waste because  
she had no real commitment to it-- she could have understood the Art,  
but she didn't.  
  
Hibiki, now... he understood. You don't learn the true Bakusai  
Tenkatsu without understanding the Art. You don't master a move like  
the Shi Shi Hokodan without understanding the Art.   
  
And Ranma-- mastering the Burning Chestnut technique without  
being able to touch fire-- and THEN refining it into a devastating  
attack technique (which it had not been intended for).   
  
Mastering the Hiryuu Shoten Ha without having been taught the  
final move-- instead executing it on instinct... and later developing  
methods which didn't require leading the opponent into a spiral, but  
merely executing one himself. Much less once creating, on the spot,  
a variation that worked while he was soaring in midair. (And oh, did  
she have a quiet chuckle when Mousse had related THAT tale to her.  
Poor Herb... heh.) She expected any day now for the boy to design a  
variant that let him stand still.   
  
Seeing the Shi Shi Hokodan and imitating it without the scroll--  
and then after seeing the scroll refining it into a new and non-self  
destructive technique-- Mokou Takabisha.   
  
And his almost insane skill at adapting whatever was around him  
into a new technique on the spot for that fight alone. (She still  
boggled at times when she thought about the Pantyhose Meteor Kick.)   
  
The boy didn't understand the Art. The boy WAS the Art.   
  
Besides, law or no law, no WAY was she going to try to force the  
lad who had killed Saffron- SAFFRON, dear Gods, SAFFRON- to go to  
China. She liked her little restaurant in one piece.   
  
Her little body, also.   
  
And as for the lure of a cure for the curse-- apparently some  
passing spirit had whimsically decided to remove it. Even if Cologne  
found a cure, it was useless as bait now.   
  
Well, it was really for the best. Ranma would NOT make a good  
Amazon.  
  
But Shampoo didn't understand that. And so, without mentioning  
it to her, Shampoo had gone to prevent the wedding of Ranma and  
Akane. And she had actually expected Ranma to be grateful.  
  
(My great-grand-daughter's a love-struck idiot,) Cologne mused.  
A miserable one now, since Ranma refused to talk to her, or even  
acknowledge her presence of late. Ranma was not grateful for the  
interrupted wedding. He was, in fact, unhappy about it.   
  
Or he had been.  
  
Something had happened along with the cure, Cologne decided.  
Something important. Ranma would vanish for extended periods, and  
no-one knew where. He wasn't talking about it. He wasn't, in fact,  
acting much like Ranma. He was acting as though he was finally  
maturing.  
  
Hmm... how much did a curse have to do with his long-held  
immaturity?   
  
The phone rang, interrupting Cologne's musing.  
  
"Moshi Moshi."  
  
"Oh, you. Haven't heard from you in a long time, Doctor--"  
  
"You... you aren't serious? You ARE? Oh, GODDESS..."  
  
"Well, of COURSE I'll come. I'm sworn to her service as much as  
any of the rest of the Brotherhood. Especially since I'm the only  
female IN the Brotherhood, and I'll have to make certain you don't  
advise her poorly with your male outlook..."  
  
"I don't see what's so funny. Hmmph. I'll meet you there  
tomorrow."  
  
She hung up.  
  
Thoughts about Ranma, about Shampoo, about the Art, about  
everything were banished. There was something vastly more important  
to consider.   
  
The Dark had returned. It HAD to have returned--  
  
Because the Paragon had.  
  
####  
  
Robert Haynie Presents  
  
A Ranma 1/2 / Sailor Moon fanfiction  
  
PARAGON  
  
Episode Four : Fearsome Battle! Paragon VS Ferriko!  
  
####  
  
Naoko Takahashi sighed. No sign so far of any weaknesses in the  
dimensional fabric so far-- at least none that the Compact could  
locate.  
  
Then she sighed again, because she had more reason than ever  
before to BE Naoko. That reason was because she didn't share certain  
problems in the life of her alter ego-- well, the one named Ranma  
Saotome, to be specific-- and one of import was girls.  
  
As in, for some reason she had never completely understood, he  
tended to attract them in a manner similar to how a bucket of snails  
attracted French gourmets.  
  
It wasn't that every girl Ranma met would start chasing him.  
Only a few-- those who were, in general, capable martial artists--  
would actively chase him. In a weird way, that was a relief.  
Because Ranma often feared that if those three or four or how many it  
happened to be at the time were ordinary girls-- instead of the kind  
that not only could but very likely would wreak a path of destruction  
a half mile wide across Tokyo-- he'd be chased by hundreds.  
  
(Incidentally, he was right. Where other girls would have fought  
with spiteful words or hair-pulling, his not-so-wanted fiancees would  
have fought with spatula, bonbori, ribbons, and the occasional  
mallet, most girls who would have made a play for the young martial  
artist tended to feel that they'd have to try for second best.  
  
(Then they decided to set their sights lower, since second best  
was usually considered that cute Hibiki boy, but no one could usually  
find him, or even talk to him when they did. It was generally  
considered that he didn't like girls, since he refused to talk to any  
who even flirted with him slightly. Adorable Shyness wasn't a thing  
that the average Neriman girl understood.)  
  
But those were Ranma's problems. Naoko didn't have anything like  
that to worry about.   
  
Instead, Naoko had to worry about boys. Fortunately, the males  
in Juuban were strangely less, well, frothing pits of boiling  
hormonal lechery than the ones in Nerima. She had discovered that  
the worst thing she had to look forwards to was an ill-phrased  
attempt to make a date instead of the more familiar (and much less  
liked) leer or glomp and thinly veiled (when veiled at all)  
suggestion of immediate intimate physical activity. The boys of  
Juuban were much less-- for lack of a better term-- perverted. Akane  
would have been astonished.  
  
The girls though-- well, it looked like every time Ranma hit  
Juuban he'd attract at least a dozen admiring gazes. Hair would  
surreptitiously be adjusted to best effect, compacts would come out  
for a quick check, and preparations would be made for a clever and  
apparently accidental meeting. (In Juuban, as in much of Tokyo,  
accidentally-on-purpose meeting a boy was the preferred method. This  
was quite different from Nerima, where it seemed that the favored  
method was either challenging him to combat or making some flat out  
insane entrance.)  
  
Which never came off, since Ranma had pretty well decided that it  
was safer to hide as Naoko whenever in Juuban. And Naoko was DAMN  
well going to spend as little time in Nerima as she could,  
considering the idiots there. Let Ranma handle that, since he was  
expected to kick people into the near stratosphere, where if Naoko  
did that, people would begin to... wonder. No, Naoko was playing it  
at just barely above Akane's level. You know-- normal. (One can see  
that Ranma/Naoko had an understandably skewed view of what was normal  
for a martial artist.)  
  
In other words, the Paragon was leading two entirely separate  
lives-- BESIDES that of the Paragon-- as far as Japan was concerned,  
with the exception of two residents. One a doctor, one a rabbit.   
  
And Clark Kent thinks HE has problems with secret identities.  
  
####  
  
Usagi was feeling a wee bit down. None of her friends were able  
to DO anything today. Ami had some grueling super-study session for  
an unexpected juku exam, Rei had roughly a quarter tonne of shrine  
duties, Mamo-chan was in class and would be spending most of the day  
in the university lab, Chibi-Usa was at a sleepover with her friend  
Momo-chan, Naru was at the park with Umino, and Minako and Makoto  
were getting annoying with their recent obsession of the mystery boy  
that they had discovered and that Usagi personally thought was a  
figment of their imaginations. Heck-- she was even caught up on her  
studies and didn't have any homework to do. (As though that was ever  
a consideration?)  
  
So it was with curiosity she saw her new friend Naoko peering  
intently into her compact (although Usagi didn't know why--  
Naoko-chan was so pretty!) and scowling. Maybe she had a blemish.   
  
Approaching, Usagi curiously poked her face straight into Naoko's  
to see what possible blemish the pretty redhead could have.  
  
"AAAIIIIIGGHHHHHH!" greeted Naoko, who had found, instead of a  
signal of the weakness in the dimensional fabric that would have  
clued her in on the next Ur-demon incursion, a pair of curious wide  
blue eyes attached to a pair of golden baseballs.  
  
Understandably startled, Naoko backpedaled into a convenient  
tree, knocking her head against it, and grunting out a feminine but  
very well felt "Ouch!" to go with it.   
  
"GomenNaokochanIdiditagaindidn'tI?" babbled Usagi, contrite.  
  
"That's-- owww-- okay, Usagi-chan," Naoko replied. "I'm getting  
used to it. But it's getting to be a bad habit."  
  
"I'm REALLY sorry," the blonde said. "I don't MEAN to keep...  
um..."  
  
"Injuring me?" Naoko grinned.  
  
"Hai... I mean, startling you, but you were looking at your  
mirror, and I was wondering if you had a smudge, or something,  
because you're always so perfect with your makeup, and..."  
  
"Um... I was just checking, Usagi-chan." Actually, the  
transformation into Naoko tended to make certain that she was not  
only appropriately dressed, but invariably perfectly coifed and  
decorated. Which, frankly, she was somewhat pleased with, since she  
wasn't at all certain she could handle it for "real". She barely  
understood lipstick, and that was only because of a few pre-cure  
episodes that had required it.  
  
Although it DID seem odd that every time she met up with Usagi  
she'd somehow get an ouchie. Hmmph. For a moment she wondered why  
her usual danger sense never warned her of these incidents, but  
decided that it was because Usagi wasn't really a danger-- just  
someone who was something of a klutz with some of the worst timing  
she had ever met.   
  
Actually, she kind of liked that about her.   
  
"It's no biggie, Usagi-chan. I'm a martial artist, remember? I  
know how to take a little knock."  
  
"Well... if you're not mad at me about it..."  
  
"Hey, you get much worse in sparring. So you have to be able to  
take a knock. My idol says that the life of a martial artist is full  
of peril. But he's an adventuring type, I hear... I guess I'm more a  
hobbyist."  
  
"Adventuring?"  
  
"Um... well, you know, minor things like burglars and the like."  
(And oni, and dragons, and Saff-- don't go there, Ranma.)  
  
"Sugoi... Say... are you doing anything today?"  
  
"Ah, no, not really." (Scanning's a wash, and if something  
breaks out suddenly I should sense it-- Star says I should be able  
to.)  
  
"Cool! Want to go shopping?"  
  
With a contrived look of anticipation, Naoko replied, brightly,  
"Sure!"  
  
Later, she considered that a MAJOR mistake.  
  
####  
  
Three people.  
  
Doctor Tofu Ono, physician and student of arcane lore and  
medicine.  
  
Cologne, matriarch of a tribe of Chinese Amazons (for lack of a  
better term) and expert on martial arts and dangerous magic.  
  
Those the reader will recognize.  
  
The third was a man in his late seventies, of Chinese descent.  
He didn't look it, however. His hair grayed slightly at the temples,  
and there were a few wrinkles, but in general he was well preserved.  
Only close examination would have revealed that one of his hazel eyes  
was in fact glass, a small souvenir of an unfortunate incident with a  
demon he had encountered while aiding a noted archaeologist back in  
the late forties. He was also one of the richest men in Hong Kong.  
  
Many people knew David Wong, brilliant financier and master  
businessman. Few knew he was a talented if unofficial archaeologist.  
Nobody remembered the name he had been known by in his youth in  
Shanghai .   
  
"It's been a long time, Cologne," Wong said.  
  
"Ah, my young friend. You're looking well. Whatever happened to  
your handsome associate?"  
  
"He died a few years ago. I'm not certain how."  
  
Cologne chuckled. "Knowing him, likely a jealous husband. No,  
that's not fair... he never played in other men's fields, did he?"  
  
Wong shook his head. "He might have been a scoundrel, but never  
that much of one..."  
  
Tofu looked on, blankly. "Um... how long have you two known each  
other?"  
  
"Too long, it seems. I'm not getting any younger, and the Elder  
here just seems to have stopped." Wong gave a mild chuckle himself.  
"So, we do have a Paragon after all? I spent years of archeological  
resources and research to find the Amulet, and one just pops out?"  
  
"Well, it seems that the... girl was given the Amulet by a person  
or persons unknown, although I'd be tempted to describe the giver as  
a kami of sorts. I always said that that little search wasn't likely  
to give us any results," Tofu clarified.  
  
"You certainly got enough legends, scrolls, and obscure texts out  
of it for us to advise her with, though. IF we can figure any of  
them out," noted Cologne. "Any idea when the other two are likely to  
arrive?"  
  
Tofu shook his head. "Realistically, they can't come here on a  
permanent basis, just as Wong-san will need to return fairly soon to  
his businesses. However, should any of their special talents be  
needed, they can be here within twenty-four hours. As far as  
permanent staff is, it's me-- since even you, Cologne, may be needed  
by the Jokuzetsu at any moment."  
  
"We're lucky that she HAS a permanent contact as it is." Wong  
shook his head. "If it IS luck."   
  
"At any rate, Hesse is not going to be able to be here for a few  
days for this meeting-- being the chief of Archaeology at the  
University of Berlin is a hounding duty. But we can expect Jack Case  
tomorrow... and he's already setting up the computer news searches  
that we hope to use to predict paranormal event possibilities.  
Genius..."  
  
"Well, he IS the man who wrote the REAL protocols for the  
American Military computers. I STILL get the giggles when I think of  
all those hackers who THINK they have penetrated the Pentagon's  
security," Wong chuckled.  
  
"I know. I got on-line a few months ago myself. I've been, ah  
'surfing', including Usenet. Have you ever seen those idiots that  
occasionally post notices that say something to the effect of--"   
  
Here Tofu took a deep breath, and somehow managed to actually  
quote--  
  
"HeY DooDz, I nOw OWN the InTERnet, aLL pAy HOMAGE to mY  
KEWLNESS!"  
  
The other two began to laugh hysterically.  
  
"Oh, YES," Cologne guffawed. "Even on Chinese feeds, where few  
can read them!"   
  
"You have a net connection, Elder?" asked Wong, who had seen that  
sort of troll more than once in the financial groups.   
  
"It's a lot easier to run a restaurant with one, besides keeping  
track of REAL Chinese politics that way."  
  
Tofu smiled. "I'd love to see the face of one of those idiots if  
they knew there was someone who DID own the Internet..."  
  
####  
  
(I should have claimed some other appointment,) Naoko mused as  
the blonde girl zipped about the mall like a comet. Usagi had an  
incredible talent for generating incredible amounts of enthusiasm and  
energy as long as whatever she was doing was essentially trivial. At  
least, trivial in Naoko's view.  
  
It probably wouldn't have been so bad if Usagi hadn't insisted  
that Naoko join in. Joining in meant trying this dress or that skirt  
on, or this pair of shoes or that hat or... other female clothes.   
  
It was bad enough that Naoko had to dress in a "fully female"  
mode when transformed into Naoko, but now she was trying stuff on.  
All under Usagi's critical eye. Said critical eye consisted of the  
simple statement that thus and such an outfit looked really cute on  
Naoko. Apparently, a gunny sack would look cute on Naoko.  
  
Naoko held... different opinions.  
  
"It's too frilly, Usagi-chan. I'm not a frilly person, you  
know?"  
  
Usagi just beamed. "Well, I think it's cute. You dress nice  
enough, but always so plain. You should indulge yourself once in a  
while."  
  
Naoko tugged at the ruffled skirt she was wearing and scowled.  
"I don't care to indulge myself this far. Um, at least not except  
for a special occasion. I need practical clothes because of the  
Art."  
  
"I don't get it."  
  
"Well, you never know if there's going to be a fight. Suppose we  
were walking and a mugger attacked us? I can fight pretty good, so I  
could hold him off, but I'd, ah, hate to get a nice dress ruined in  
the fight. So, I wear plain clothes usually, durable stuff. That  
lets me kick. So I can fight if I'm attacked or a friend is."  
  
"You're really into all this martial art philosophy, aren't you?"   
  
"I sort of have to be, if I want to be as good as... Him." Naoko  
allowed herself a starry look, again giving the impression that she  
had something of a denied crush on her as yet unnamed idol.  
  
"Well, I suppose so... OOOH! This would look SO good on you!"  
  
Naoko sighed. She certainly wasn't going to buy anything, but it  
certainly seemed that she was going to be wearing a lot of them...  
  
####  
  
"I KNOW I saw him."  
  
"Mina-chan. You keep saying that. He shows up for a minute, and  
then vanishes. I'm beginning to wonder about that boy."  
  
Minako peered at the taller girl uncertainly. "You aren't  
suggesting that he's an enemy, are you?"  
  
"No... I don't get that kind of feeling about him. But maybe  
he's gay?"  
  
Minako blanched. "No! That's not possible! He's too CUTE!"  
  
"Then why does he avoid us?" Makoto replied. "For that matter,  
we've both seen some fairly cute girls start towards him, and he  
always ducks into an alley or something and then goes poof. I think  
he's scared of girls for some reason."  
  
The blonde thought. "Maybe... he's had bad experiences with  
girls before. Dumped, or something, and so he's shy about it. So  
he's avoiding them because he's trying to deal with a tragic  
heartbreak?"  
  
Makoto sighed. That was JUST the kind of logic that Mina-chan  
would pull out of her hat. On the other hand, it also made a sort of  
sense.  
  
"That could be it, I suppose..."  
  
"And so, as the Goddess of Love that I am, I owe it to him to  
show him that not all girls are fickle or cruel. The poor thing. He  
deserves a proper girlfriend." It was obvious that Minako had  
already convinced herself that her hypothesis was a proven theory.  
  
"I still saw him first."  
  
"Oh, stop SAYING that..."  
  
####  
  
Usagi looked at her friend with some mild concern. Naoko was a  
nice girl, and a pretty sensible one-- unless you got her on the  
subject of martial arts, and then she'd go downright ditzy. She'd  
begin to prattle and rave and drop small comments about her idol--  
who she had yet to actually name.  
  
But it was something of a shame that such a pretty girl was also  
such a tomboy. Oh, Naoko tried to hide it, and probably wore dresses  
because her mother made her or something, but Usagi had a feeling  
that Naoko would be happier in a t-shirt and jeans, rough and  
tumbling it with other likeminded girls and boys. And her  
fascination with the martial arts suggested to Usagi that the only  
kind of boy she'd be interested in would be a martial artist.  
  
The only male martial artist that she knew of-- besides  
Mamo-chan, who had studied a little kendo once, which stood him in  
good stead as Tuxedo Kamen-- was that weird boy who would show up at  
Rei's place every once in a while, looking for either someplace  
called the Tendo Dojo or a pig farm. Hmm... there was a thought. He  
was pretty cute, and might be just the kind of guy that Naoko needed.   
  
Although he did seem to have a problem with directions. At  
least, she was fairly certain that he had headed towards Kyoto when  
directed to Nerima.  
  
So, if she tried to set Naoko up with a nice boy, it had better  
be one that would get to the date on time.  
  
AND who was a martial artist. Hmm... Mako-chan knew a lot about  
martial arts, maybe she would know of someone.  
  
Meanwhile, Naoko, unaware that her life was about to become  
feminine social hell, was trying not to explode at the fifth silly  
dress that Usagi had found in THIS shop.   
  
####  
  
Mamoru Chiba was somewhat annoyed at the universe, or at least  
his particular corner of it. Of all the days for a lab fire to break  
out, when he had at least three experiments he was supposed to do,  
bah.  
  
Intellectually, Mamoru was aware that what he'd probably wind up  
doing with his life was sitting on a throne next to Usako-- who by  
then wouldn't be Usako any more, technically-- and wearing a mask  
most of the time. (Why King Endymion wore that thing habitually, he  
didn't know, but his short trip to a distant future suggested that  
that would be the case. Perhaps it wasn't a mask, but mask shaped  
glasses? After a thousand years, he could go farsighted after  
all...)  
  
But despite that destiny, he STILL wanted to become an accredited  
surgeon or genetic researcher first. Besides, he thought with a  
smile, there wasn't any telling how much money the king business  
paid, where medicine could probably pay for the whole Crystal Palace.   
  
At the moment, however, he had nothing to do. Nothing at all.  
He was bored-- a state he wasn't used to. He was damn tempted to  
produce the Rose and start jogging on streetlights just to do  
SOMETHING.  
  
"No WAY, Usagi-chan! I'd look like some demented living  
strawberry parfait wearing that! And I hate pink anyhow!"   
  
"Aw, Naoko-chan, what's wrong with pink?"  
  
Hmm. Maybe things were looking up a bit.  
  
Mamoru gazed in quiet amusement as his girlfriend and future  
queen tried to cajole an unfamiliar redhead into a rather ornate  
party dress, that was more suitable to a idol singer than a ordinary  
girl. Being the basically chivalrous type, he decided to rescue the  
new person from the hell of Usagi's sometimes over the top fashion  
sense.  
  
"Hate to say it, Usako, but I have to agree with your friend  
here. She looks to be more or less the practical type."  
  
"MAMO-CHAN!" Mamoru braced himself for the almost bullet-like  
impact of Usagi's hug. He wasn't disappointed.  
  
"So, who's your new friend?"  
  
"Oh, gomen, Mamo-chan, this is Naoko Takahashi, and she's a  
martial artist, and aren't you supposed to be in lab today?"  
  
"Lab got canceled. Pleased to meet you, Miss Naoko."  
  
"Ah..." The redhead looked a bit flustered, and then replied,  
"Likewise. You have to be Usagi-chan's boyfriend?" (DAMN, he's WAY  
older than her. Then again, I see weirder relationships all the  
time. Mostly mine.)  
  
"Mamoru Chiba, at your service," Mamoru returned, adding a sort  
of half-comic bow. To his mild surprise, where most girls would have  
responded with a cute and embarrassed giggle, Naoko instead looked  
oddly nonplussed.  
  
"Oh, that's nice. I mean, you're very polite."   
  
Naoko was somewhat uncertain how to react. True, she had no  
attraction to the male gender, but she did know what real girls  
found attractive-- and this youth was just that. Also, to her  
discomfort, he was a charming type. She'd met more than one fellow  
who thought they were charming-- bozos all, in her opinion-- but  
genuine unfaked charm wasn't something she was familiar with.  
  
Right now she was praying for some sort of distraction so she  
could figure out how to pretend to react.  
  
Prayers are answered sometimes.  
  
####  
  
Ferriko did not like Earth, did not like the East, did not like  
Japan, did not like Tokyo, and especially did not like Azabu-Juuban.  
She REALLY did not like Juuban.  
  
The place was crawling with Senshi it seemed. Every time she  
tried to send out an Ur-demon to find the StarGem, along bounced a  
pack of Senshi, complete with inane speeches and invariably a Paragon  
in tow. That is, unless Paragon showed up to be followed by said  
pack of Senshi.  
  
They HAD to be coordinating somehow. Perhaps Paragon was  
actually a Senshi with an unusual fashion sense. Or something.  
There was no doubt that they were working together, though.  
  
Ferriko, one can see, was not a great believer in coincidence.   
  
"Mistress?" The apparent girl next to the trenchcoat-clad  
Ferriko looked at her controller with concern of a sorts. Ur-demons  
did not actually have emotions of the tender sort, but they DID know  
that a mistress should be kept happy if they wanted to stay intact.   
  
"Chiculii, I'm thinking."  
  
(Brooding, more like,) the Ur-demon mused. "Mistress, have we  
found a target yet?"  
  
"No. And right now I'm not looking for one. I'm trying to  
figure out how to get my hands on Sailor Moon."  
  
"Sailor Moon?"  
  
"She and the Paragon are our main problems, but it's usually  
Sailor Moon who actually finishes the fights. She doesn't seem to be  
as capable a fighter as Paragon, at least not in an ordinary battle--  
so she should be easier to capture. Paragon is going to take some  
effort."  
  
"Oh. So, we won't go after that fellow there after all?"   
  
"Eh?"  
  
"That tall fellow with those two girls. I sense great focus in  
him."  
  
Ferriko blinked. And looked in the direction Chiculii was  
indicating. "Hmm... you're right. VERY focused soul, that one.  
Well, it can't hurt to check if we can get him alone. Although  
blondie there may be difficult to disentangle. She's got a grip on  
him that a barnacle would be jealous of."  
  
"Then we must be subtle, Mistress?"  
  
"Yes. We must separate the blonde and her friend from the youth,  
lure him to a concealed place, and then examine his soul."  
  
"Ah. How do we be subtle, Mistress?"  
  
Ferriko sighed. "With subtlety."  
  
Blinking at the non-answer, Chiculii shrugged. She decided to  
just follow her mistresses lead and hope for the best. After all,  
Mistress Ferriko was far smarter than she was. She thought.  
  
"Now... how do we distract the girls and lure the boy away?"  
mused Ferriko. "Ah, it's really simple. And fortunately, you are  
the perfect minion for the plan."  
  
"I am?" Chiculii smiled wildly. It was GOOD to be called  
perfect instead of a pathetic piece of wasted ectoplasm, as was  
Ferriko's usual bent.  
  
"Human girls love sweets. Human males are, at least after a  
certain age, less fond of the same. And with your peculiar  
abilities..."  
  
"Oh, I see, Mistress. I think."  
  
"Now, here's what I have in mind..."  
  
####  
  
Naoko was reminded of a barnacle the way Usagi clung to Mamoru.  
No doubt in her mind that she was one hundred and sixty-two percent  
in love with the guy. And she could see by his fond, affectionate,  
and most of all indulgent glances that the sentiments were fully  
reciprocated.  
  
More importantly, she was incredibly grateful that Mamoru's  
timely arrival had saved her from wearing an outfit that Asuza  
Shiratori wouldn't have worn on her worst day. She repressed a  
shudder at the thing-- frills and petticoats and bows and lace and a  
LOT of pink-- and was for once grateful that the transformation had  
her dressed, if like a girl, like a SANE girl. Usually. Somehow she  
suspected that Usagi herself would have never actually worn that  
monstrosity, but had only wanted to see HER in it.  
  
At any rate, she was DAMN glad to be back in the black turtleneck  
and matching blue denim mini and jacket. Simple, effective, stylish,  
and she could fight in it. If she HAD to be a girl to be the  
Paragon, she'd rather have her own style. Preferably one without  
pink and ruffles.  
  
"WAI!"  
  
(Usagi just saw either something very cute or something to eat,)  
mused both Naoko and Mamoru with weird synchronization.  
  
"What KAWAII candies!"  
  
"Good lord, she's managed to find both," muttered Mamoru under  
his breath.  
  
Naoko, who had excellent hearing, smirked.  
  
The street, as many in Tokyo were, was dotted with small booths  
and stalls that were more or less collapsible during the night, only  
popping up at daytime. Like the ubiquitous yatai, they were  
transient things, setting up here one day and there the next, always  
trying to keep in business while avoiding unpleasant altercations  
with the police, who tended to ignore them until they started to  
cause a traffic hazard. This one was selling what could indeed only  
be described as exceedingly kawaii candies. (The English word 'cute'  
doesn't QUITE carry the impact needed.)  
  
Brown chocolate teddy-bears with pink spun sugar bows. Cakes  
shaped like Minky Momo and Wedding Peach transformation items. A  
tray of apparent marzipan bunnies and duckies and kitties and puppies  
and whatever else was cute beyond belief, all with JUST the right  
amount of Super-deformity to triple the innate cuteness. Hello Kitty  
candy bars that were uncannily truly Sanrio-esque were on display.  
There was even what appeared to be a hard candy stick shaped just  
like Sailor Moon's Spiral Heart Moon Rod-- which Usagi had her eyes  
affixed to in sheer wonder.  
  
Usagi was in heaven.  
  
Naoko was... suspicious. Once again, at the back of her heart,  
she felt the strange sensation she had learned to connect to  
activities of the Darkness. She couldn't pinpoint it, but this  
almost perfect Usagi-lure made her understandably suspicious.  
  
Usagi had been attacked at least once by an Ur-demon, and had had  
a close call with another. Naoko wasn't sure, but she was beginning  
to think that Usagi might be part of the real reason the Darkness had  
come... perhaps she DID have the Star-Gem that they sought.   
  
Better to stay close to her, Naoko thought, putting on a false  
look of enchantment and joining the blonde at the stall.   
  
Mamoru watched them for a moment, smiling... and then paused as  
he felt a tap at his shoulder. He turned to look at an attractive  
woman, who looked disturbed.   
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Sir, I'm sorry to bother you, but... this will sound so silly,  
but I need your help to rescue my cat."  
  
"I don't understand..."  
  
"Well, she's crawled into a pipe, and won't come out. I need  
someone to stand at the other end and scare her out. It won't take a  
moment..."  
  
"Well, I don't know..."  
  
"Oh, PLEASE?" The woman looked almost as desperate as Usagi  
could when she wanted something.   
  
"I... suppose I can help. Usako, can you wait here a minute?"  
  
Usagi nodded absently, engrossed in the display of insanely cute  
and darling and just plain adorable confections.  
  
"Okay. I'll be back in a few."  
  
Mamoru followed the woman to an alley, and blinked. "I don't see  
a pipe. Or a cat."  
  
"Oh, well, to be honest, I'm the cat."  
  
"Excuse me?" (I have a BAD--)  
  
"And you're the mouse. HAH-HA-HA-HA-HA!!!"  
  
If someone had told Mamoru Chiba that there existed a woman with  
a more annoying laugh than Emeralda's he would not have believed it--  
until now. He'd never heard of Kodachi Kuno, but if he had, he'd  
have placed this slightly behind in sheer wrongness.  
  
Then again, the sudden grip on his throat from behind suggested  
that something also was wrong. His arms were pinned by something  
elastic and adhesive. And the woman dropped her trenchcoat to reveal  
what appeared to be a chain-mail leotard and hip boots.  
  
"Now... let's have a closer look at your soul, shall we?"  
  
####  
  
Two girls were suddenly distracted by similar sensations.  
  
Usagi suddenly knew that Mamoru was in trouble. The linking of  
her heart with his, the power of their love had led him to her aid  
more than once-- and although she wasn't as sensitive to it as he  
was, it did run both ways.  
  
Naoko suddenly felt a vast increase in the unease that heralded a  
attack by the Darkness. And she was now aware that it was NOT in the  
immediate vicinity.   
  
Both tried to think of an excuse to leave.  
  
Usagi won the race. "Oooh, I have to have that one (pointing at  
the candy Spiral Heart Moon Rod) but I haven't enough pocket money,  
I'll go find Mamo-chan and borrow some."  
  
"That sounds like a great idea, Usagi-chan. Maybe he'll buy me  
that marzipan carrot?" (Star would CHOKE on that one.)  
  
"Sure! Wait here!"  
  
Naoko had no intention of waiting. As Usagi dashed off, she  
opened the Compact. And this time it was actually giving an exact  
reading.  
  
(Only a few blocks from here. A snap to get to after I change.)  
  
Naoko went to find a convenient place to do just that...  
  
####  
  
(Where is he? How do I FIND him? He always finds ME! Oh, I'm  
not used to being on this end!)  
  
Such were the thoughts of Sailor Moon as she started searching,  
trying to follow her heart to his...  
  
####  
  
Paragon had what could be called an unfair advantage. It was a  
map-- the Compact. As she sped across rooftops, she targeted the  
darkness-- and stared.  
  
There was Usagi's boyfriend, held by what looked like a girl made  
up of candy, and being scrutinized by Ferriko. Or more likely, one  
of her illusions.   
  
Didn't matter. No-one messed with HER friend's boyfriends.   
  
"Not here. And such focus too. Well, Chiculii, might as well  
kill him now--"  
  
"Now, that's just plain rude."  
  
Ferriko snapped her eyes upwards and snarled. "Why can't you  
stay out of my way just once?"  
  
"It is wrong to grab an innocent man who only wanted a simple  
date with his girlfriend for your evil plans. This is a crime that  
cannot be forgiven! Judgment has been made, and you are found  
wanting!"  
  
"And you're the Paragon, I know. Well, you're also dead!  
Chiculii, forget the boy for now-- KILL PARAGON!"  
  
As Paragon leapt down from the roof, Chuculii started firing what  
appeared to be wads of chewing gum. Paragon wasn't impressed-- until  
they hit the walls around her and exploded.   
  
"Plastic explosive?" Paragon gasped, startled.  
  
"Spearmint flavored explosive chewing gum!" retorted Chiculii,  
firing another barrage, and forcing Paragon into an intricate  
avoidance dance.  
  
"Why do I bother asking?" groaned the silver and black clad  
magical girl, avoiding each shot. "Of COURSE it's something silly  
like that. Well, at least you left those--"  
  
Whurfle. Whurfle. Whurfle.  
  
"Ur-golems at home. I shoulda KNOWN."  
  
For a moment Paragon was almost swamped by the need to dodge both  
lethal gumwads and Ur-golems. Then her years of martial arts  
training and her talent for clever if unlikely plans came to the fore  
once again. She started to lead Chiculii's fire in the direction SHE  
wanted it to go.  
  
"CHICULII! STOP FIRING!" screamed Ferriko in frustration.  
  
"Why?" asked the now frustrated Ur-demon.  
  
"BECAUSE YOU'RE BLOWING UP OUR OWN UR-GOLEMS, YOU MORON!!!!"  
  
It was true. There was a lone Ur-golem standing amongst the dust  
of the others, where Paragon had led Chiculii into hitting them all.  
"Hey, you still got one. In fact-- you can have it!" With that,  
Paragon grabbed the diminutive creature, hefted it with ease, threw  
it at Ferriko-- and stared in amazement as instead of passing though,  
it impacted her, knocking her down and causing her to emit a  
heartfelt "YOUCH!"  
  
"You're... here. You are ACTUALLY here. And I thought it was  
going to be a boring day." Paragon cracked her knuckles and grinned.  
"What a nice present. Which one of you two do I pulp first?"  
  
Ferriko picked herself up from the fragments of the last  
Ur-golem. Fuming, she snarled, "Chiculii, leave us. Find something  
to amuse yourself with. I have had enough of this human's arrogance.  
Paragon-- prepare to die!"  
  
"Oh, MAN... you have no IDEA how much I wanted to hear you say  
that, Chainmail-chan!"  
  
Ferriko began to redden in fury. "DON'T CALL ME CHAINMAIL-CHAN!"  
  
"I bet you don't have a sense of direction either," laughed  
Paragon.  
  
For some reason that comment began to enrage Ferriko. "Well,  
forget what I said. I won't give you a chance to prepare to die!"  
  
"Aw, you're unfair. HEH!"  
  
And the two began to square off as a half-concious Mamoru stared,  
helplessly...  
  
####  
  
Sailor Moon knew she was getting closer... she could feel it.  
But during her search she passed the candy stall again-- and noticed  
that it was disappearing.  
  
(If that's not a trap, then I'm the meatball head Rei keeps  
calling me. I should have KNOWN. That candy was TOO cute!)  
  
That's when it happened.  
  
It being an Ur-demon.  
  
A DAMN SILLY looking Ur-demon.  
  
A damn silly Ur-Demon harrassing innocents and laughing.  
  
(And I thought the Daimon were wierd looking. I don't have time  
for this! I have to save Mamo-chan!)  
  
Her concern, her fear, and her need for haste combined to produce  
a result that had never been seen before, and likely would never be  
seen again...   
  
No speech. No posing. Just the production of the Spiral Heart  
Moon Rod, the command "Moon Spiral Heart Attack", and a dusted  
Ur-demon. It never even got an attack off.  
  
Running past, heedless of the amazed crowd, Sailor Moon dashed  
off to rescue her prince.  
  
####  
  
Paragon narrowly dodged a suddden razor-edged chain that sprang  
from Ferriko's hand. (Okay, so she's using some sort of Mousse trick  
there- WHOA!)  
  
The chain might have been similar at first sight to the tools of  
the Chinese Master of Hidden weapons, but the way it suddenly changed  
course in mid-flight wasn't. This was NOT good, the crimson haired  
magical girl decided.  
  
"Fool! I am not like those worthless Ur-Demons! I am Ferriko,  
Mistress of Iron, and all iron obeys my will! You have no chance  
against me!"   
  
Paragon would have made a witty retort to that, but at the moment  
she had to save all her breath to dodge not only the first chain but  
the twenty or so others that had manifested, each moving as though it  
were alive. (Damn, damn damn. How to I get her if I can't get TO  
her? I just know a Para Volt wouldn't work even if I was getting a  
chance to fire one!)  
  
Then the street lamps began to move. Like huge snakes, they  
stabbed towards the silver and black clad Magical Girl, each strike  
missing by millimeters.   
  
(This is no good at all! I can't keep dodging forever, I'm going  
to get tired or make a mistake, Paragon or not-- there's got to be  
some way to bring the fight to her!)  
  
The problem was that there seemed to be no way TO bring the fight  
to Ferriko. Every approach was guarded by a whirring wall of razor  
chain, every line of attack by animated lamp posts, and there were  
unpleasant sounds beginning elsewhere.  
  
And then Paragon was blindsided by a flying manhole cover.  
  
She snarled in pain at the impact at the back of her head, and  
then upgraded snarls to screams of mixed agony and rage as a few of  
the chains wrapped about her, squeezing her breath from her lungs and  
cutting into her flesh. The magic seemed to make the pain worse,  
somehow.   
  
(Damn. Can't end like this... have to break free... should be  
able to break free...)  
  
"Oh, are you trapped? How sad. But even with your admittedly  
impressive strength, you can't break my chains, you know. My magic  
sees to that. I'm afraid you really have no option but to die."  
Ferriko was grinning now, secure in her victory--  
  
When a lambent disc of shining light appeared from nowhere and  
spoiled everything.   
  
It slashed through the chains, first severing the link to  
Ferriko, then changed course and cut the chains binding the Paragon.  
Paragon fell to her knees, bleeding, half conscious. Before Ferriko  
could react, the disc cut the other chains, and then swerved again,  
changing at the last moment into a tiara and landing in the hand of  
Sailor Moon.  
  
"I won't forgive your hurting an innocent man who only wanted a  
simple date with his girlfriend for your evil plans!" Sailor Moon  
shouted, furious. (How DARE she attack Mamo-chan and Paragon?)   
  
"What, do you people share speechwriters?" Ferriko said angrily.  
"And how do you plan to stop me, whelp? As if you have a chance when  
I bought the better of you to her knees."  
  
"Sorry... standing up now..."  
  
Ferriko and Sailor Moon stared at Paragon, who had managed to  
regain her footing, wobbling unsteadily. "Ain't over yet. You are  
going down."  
  
"You can still stand? I AM impressed. Well, your pathetic  
bravado notwith-- what?"  
  
Paragon began to shine with a golden nimbus. Cuts and bruises  
seemed to fade as though they had never existed. And her eyes...  
  
Her eyes began to glow.  
  
Magic and Chi are not complementary forces. They do not oppose  
each other as such, but they also do not meld. Until now.  
  
The Chi of a martial artist-- that control that allows them to  
boost their physical abilities, their recuperative powers, their  
special techniques... was for the first time melded and augmented by  
the power of Magic. Until now, Paragon had been using one or the  
other... as if a barrier in her mind had prevented her from blending  
the two forces.   
  
That barrier was now down.  
  
Cuts healed in instants. Damaged costume somehow was repaired.  
And the Paragon was shining.  
  
Oh, how she was shining...  
  
Ferriko stared in shock at a person who had been on the edge of  
her endurance a moment before and was now apparently completely  
healed. "What... what ARE you?"  
  
"I am the light that escaped the Darkness."  
  
"Whatever-- I took you before, I can take you again!" Ferriko  
launched a chain-- and froze as this time Paragon batted it aside  
without any apparent concern.  
  
"I am the Champion forged from Chaos."  
  
"Shut UP! You are supposed to DIE!" Ferriko launched all the  
metal she had against Paragon... who now idly dodged it, the blue  
eyes that had been behind the mask now blank ovals of radiance.  
  
"I am the instrument of Judgment. I am the final court. I am  
the Avatar of Justice."  
  
Ferriko was beginning to freak. "SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP!"  
  
"I am..."  
  
"Damn you, SHUT --"  
  
And then Ferriko was slammed against the wall. Hard.  
  
"The Paragon."  
  
Ferriko was in pain. Intense pain. Paragon had hurt her... how  
DARE she--  
  
The thought was derailed by a kick to the gut. Followed by a  
punch to the jaw and a cruel elbow bash. And all the time, the face  
of the silver-clad magical girl was impassive, unfeeling... as though  
she had a soul of ice.  
  
"And you are nothing whatsoever next to me."  
  
Sailor Moon stared as the Paragon seemed to undergo a total  
personality transformation. Where once was a jesting, sarcastic  
fighter there now was a person who radiated menace that the Wiseman  
would have quailed at.   
  
Then the glow surrounding Paragon began to brighten, as she  
raised one gloved hand above her head, which began to gather sparks  
of blended energy and chi... forming, of all things, what seemed to  
be a katana.  
  
"SWORD OF JUDGEMENT!"  
  
The blade didn't connect.  
  
It didn't need to.  
  
An arcing bolt of light slashed forward, and for a moment, one  
could almost see the ghostly image of a set of scales behind it's  
target-- who screamed, and collapsed to her knees--  
  
And then fell apart, into a pile of crumbled rust.  
  
"Kami-sama," breathed Sailor Moon. "That was-- Paragon?"  
  
And the Paragon collapsed, her energy spent, sliding into  
grateful unconsciousness... and then her outline wavered, and she  
changed... and became...  
  
"I don't believe it... Naoko-chan?"  
  
####  
  
To Be Continued.  
  



End file.
